A caper flick with a big, beating heart

You know those times when you listen to just the first few notes of a song you’ve never heard before

You know those times when you listen to just the first few notes of a song you’ve never heard before and are instantly hooked? That’s the feeling we had when we saw The Lookout (in theaters next Friday, 3/30), which had us enthralled from its very first, hold-your-breath-and-grab-your-armrest scene.

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt (of Brick and Mysterious Skin) plays Chris Pratt, a onetime golden boy who lost the life he knew after he crashed his car, killed his friends, and wrecked his brain. He’s no longer able to grasp time and is forced to leave himself written instructions everywhere he goes. His foggy mind and job as a janitor in a small-town bank make him the perfect mark to be manipulated into aiding a robbery.

The Lookout is the directorial debut of Scott Frank, who wrote the wonderful screenplays for Out of Sight and Get Shorty. In his hands, what could have been a predictable genre piece instead becomes darker, more interesting, and heartbreakingly melancholic.

“>VIEW the trailer for The Lookout

“>CHECK theaters and showtimes

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A caper flick with a big, beating heart