Out of Time

10/02/03

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Out of Time will grab you and keep you riveted on the edge of your seat.

 

Out of Time
The Masked Reviewer

Denzel Washington.  The mere mention of his name is enough to weaken the knees of many women.  When he stars in a film, there are definitely going to be people who will see it.  There aren't very many actors who can guarantee an audience.  Just look at Jennifer Lopez (J-Lo) and Ben Affleck (B-Leck).  You can't say that about them anymore. 

Denzel has a lot going for him.  He's been nominated for Oscars(tm) for his performances in Cry Freedom (1987), Malcolm X (1992), and The Hurricaine (1999).  He won Oscars(tm) for Best Supporting Actor in Glory (1989) and for Best Actor in Training Day (2001).  Even more impressive, he worked on the TV hit "St. Elsewhere" for many years without killing Howie Mandel. 

Denzel also has a cool name.  Part all-American name (Washington was not only President, but also is the name of a state and, coincidentally, the country's capitol) and part unusual name (Denzel is English, the name of a place in Cornwall).  He probably got picked on a lot as kid.  He probably heard a lot of chants of "Denzel the pretzel" or "Wishy-Washington".  Kids can be cruel.  The Masked Reviewer knows.  The relentless cries of "Mask head!  Mask head!" still ring in the Masked Reviewer's ears.

Anyway, Out of Time is a film that is hard to describe at all without giving away something about the plot.  If you've seen an ad, a preview, or even a poster for the film, you'll have a pretty good idea of what the film deals with.  If you have no idea and you like thrillers, or Denzel Washington, or both, then just go see it.  It's good. 

The story is compelling and moves along very well.  It's tense and exciting and you're never quite sure of what will happen next, or when.  It does a great job of building tension.  The film is rather similar in style to Kevin Costner's No Way Out.  If you like that film, you'll certainly like Out of Time as well.

Denzel's performance is great.  The audience can sympathize with the character he portrays, even though not every decision he makes is good or bad, right or wrong.  He is, as usual, compelling to watch and carries the movie.

Dean Cain (Superman from "The Adventures of Lois and Clark") appears in the film also.  He's a bad guy.  You can tell he's a bad guy because he has a goatee, and anyone with a goatee is obviously evil.  Cain probably figured the goatee would help him to shake the boy scout image.  The only one who would be fooled by that would be Lois Lane. 

Here are some famous goatees.  Notice the recurring trend of evil:

Dean Cain, looking tough with his goatee. Satan with a goatee.  Known for his evilness. Vladimir Lenin, the man who made communism a reality.  Goatee. Pee Wee Herman, in a goatee, during his mug shot, after doing evil. Howie Mandel in a goatee.  Just look at him.  He'd kill you dead and put a rubber glove on your head.

Colonel Sanders and his goatee.  Spreading deep fried death throughout the world.

Burl Ives.  "Holly Jolly Christmas" indeed...not with that shag rug of maliciousness on his face!

Count von Count.  He has a goatee.  He's a vampire that feeds on children who are bad at math!

Denzel Washington.  Training Day.  Goatee.  Bad man.  Good performance, if you like evil. Mother Teresa, shown with a goatee.  Doesn't she look evil?  All it takes to go from saint to terrorist is a goatee.  Good thing she didn't have one.

There was much more to Out of Time than just Denzel and evil goatees.  Sanaa Lathan and Eva Mendes both gave solid performances.  Eva Mendes has come a long way since her feature debut in A Night at the Roxbury (you know, based on the "Saturday Night Live" skit where the guys bob their heads to music in a nightclub). 

Stealing the show, however, was John Billingsley, best known as Dr. Phlox on "Enterprise", the latest Star Trek series.  He provides the comic relief for the film and he does an exceptional job.  Too often the goofy sidekick becomes annoying quickly, but Billingsley was just right in every scene.  That's rare for a character actor, and hopefully we will see more of him.  You know, in other movies. 

Probably the strangest thing about the film is the opening.  It seems to set the stage for a light comedy.  It isn't a light comedy, though there are some fine jokes.  No nudity, but even so, all-in-all it's a fun, interesting, solid thriller.

Fans of Denzel won't be disappointed.  You should hurry up and see Denzel before you're Out of Time.  For those of you that like thrillers with three words in the title, such as No Way Out, Out of Time will grab you and keep you riveted to the edge of your seat.  If you're one of those people who doesn't really care to think about the plot and has a hard time following what's going on, Out of Time might not be your first choice, but it's certainly worth trying.  The direction is very clear and most things are explained well.

 

Expectation from the Title: When a man tries to make his award-winning Mystery Muffins, his world changes in an instant when he realizes that he's got all the ingredients...except one.  Parsley, sage, rosemary...and trouble.

Mother's Rule (Always Say Something Good About Everything):  Denzel is a handsome fellow and he's much nicer in this than he was as that nasty young man in Training Day

The Pros: Denzel Washington's acting, John Billingsley's supporting acting, an interesting story that's thrilling, well-directed, and fast-paced.

The Cons: No nudity.  Mostly a one man movie.

 

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