Out of Sight, the first collaboration between filmmaker Steven Soderbergh and actor George Clooney, arrives on 4K Ultra HD.
The film makes its arrival on 4K UHD two days after turning 24 years old. If Kino Lorber had held off for another year, they could have released a 25th anniversary 4K! I’m not complaining as it also gives me an opportunity to rewatch a Steven Soderbergh classic. Plus, it’s got Kentucky native George Clooney. Together, they’ve made this one, the three Ocean’s films, Solaris, and The Good German. My apologies if I missed one of their collaborations. Clooney brings his classic charm even if his character isn’t exactly a nice guy.
Jack Foley (George Clooney) is a career bank robber. Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lawrence) is a U.S. Marshal. On paper, these two are probably the last people that would probably get together. Lo and behold, this is exactly what happens over the course of 123 minutes. It starts when they share a trunk ride together during Foley’s escape from prison. There’s not a safe moment for Jack because Karen is on his trail. Will he let himself get caught again? Maybe but only if it is the right person–more specifically, Karen. Anyway, the chase is happening as Jack, Buddy (Ving Rhames), and Glenn (Steve Zahn) make their way to visit Ripley (Albert Brooks). Albert previous told Jack about uncut diamonds in his home. Unfortunately, Glenn stupidly tells Maurice (Don Cheadle) about the diamonds.
Because of Glenn’s stupid mistake, everyone is converging on Ripley’s home, for better or worse. Jack ends up offering to team with Maurice with everyone splitting the earnings. As if this wasn’t enough, Jack and Karen spend some time at a hotel. Ah, romance. Back at Ripley’s house, anything that can go wrong certainly does. It all ends up with Jack getting in a van with Karen up front. Will he end up back in a Florida prison or is it just a ruse? The fact that Hejira Henry (Samuel L. Jackson) is a previous escapee certainly begs the question.
Technically speaking, the film is also a sequel to Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown. Both films are Elmore Leonard adaptations. Plus, Michael Keaton reprises his role as Ray Nicolette in an uncredited appearance. Thankfully, Miramax lets him do so without an issue. Soderbergh does a fantastic job by bringing his own style to directing the film. Perhaps the biggest what-if about Out of Sight is what if Sandra Bullock starred instead of Jennifer Lopez? We’ll certainly never know what could have been but there’s a universe where the Ocean siblings are starring in this film together. Meanwhile, Clooney puts the exclamation point on his rising film career as this film is proof enough for the actor to leave TV behind.
Out of Sight is a film driven not by the action in as much as it is the characters. Plus, you also have a star-studded cast to boot. You could argue that Out of Sight is just a preview of things to come a few years later in Ocean’s 11. Now that I think about it, Soderbergh should have tried to find a spot in Oceans for the scene-stealing Steve Zahn! The tricky part here is that while the film is a comedy, the actors are not playing it that way even if they know they’re in a comedy.
The trunk scene is the one scene in this film that makes the movie. They could have shot it in all-black but ended up adding a flashlight for lighting. The film would not work as well as it does without this scene. According to the bonus documentary, they did 45 takes of the trunk scene. Take 44 is the take that they included in the first preview for audiences. In the end, they ultimately reshot the scene.
The film earned two Oscar nominations: Adapted Screenplay (Scott Frank) and Film Editing (Anne V. Coates). As well as this film is made, it had no chance against the likes of Saving Private Ryan. Financially, it did well but not the type of numbers that one might expect. Regardless, it put Soderbergh into a world where he could choose between studio films or indies.
Out of Sight still holds up as one of the best films of 1998 and the crime comedy has never looked better than on 4K UHD.
Bonus Features
- Brand New HDR/Dolby Vision Master – Approved & Color Graded by Cinematographer Elliot Davis!
- Audio Commentary by Director Steven Soderbergh and Screenwriter Scott Frank
- Inside OUT OF SIGHT: An Original Documentary on the Making of the Film – Featuring Behind-the-Scenes Footage and Interviews with Steven Soderbergh, George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Albert Brooks, Don Cheadle, Ving Rhames, Steve Zahn, Elmore Leonard and Scott Frank
- Deleted Scenes
- Two Theatrical Trailers (Newly Mastered in 2K)
- 5.1 Surround & Lossless 2.0
- Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc
- Optional English Subtitles
DIRECTOR: Steven Soderbergh
SCREENWRITER: Scott Frank
CAST: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Dennis Farina, and Albert Brooks, Nancy Allen, Catherine Keener, Isaiah Washington, Steve Zahn
Universal released Out of Sight in theaters on June 26, 1998. Grade: 4.5/5
Please subscribe to Solzy at the Movies on Substack.
