DVD Movie Review: The Lookout

The Lookout is a compelling heist flick mixed with "Memento"-like memory loss, glued together by a film noir tone and narrative. There are a few too many loopholes in the storyline and an undefined set of rules regarding the main character's brain damage, but Jeff Daniels' supporting character Lewis comes to the rescue, nudging the film slightly above the average mark. An unparagoned idea, The Lookout simply doesn't piece together smoothly.

Chris Pratt (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) had a normal life, lots of friends, admiration and popularity. After a particularly stupid mistake in which he was showing off to his girlfriend while driving, he wrecks his car, killing two people and ending up in a coma. Years later he suffers from the inability to form new short-term memories, and must slowly train himself to do everyday activities through constant repetition and note-taking. An old friend, Gary Spargo (Matthew Goode) approaches the lonely Chris to help him rob the local bank, and rapidly Chris finds himself caught in a dangerous heist that is sure cost him the lives of loved ones.

The most questionable flaw with The Lookout is its inconsistencies with Chris's memory loss. He must use notes to wake up, take a shower (with soap), eat breakfast and go off to school. He gets easily confused and angered at little things, such as finding and operating a can opener. And yet he drives himself everywhere. If he can't remember how to use a can opener, how can he possibly remember how to drive a car? Is a car something you never forget how to operate? And throughout the film he even drives multiple vehicles. As far as memory loss portrayal goes, it's deficient and utterly unconvincing.