The Digest
Matt Whitlock (Denzel Washington) is the Chief of Police of a small Florida town called Banyan Key. Everything is awesome in his professional life, but his personal life is a different matter. He is estranged from his beautiful wife, Alex (Eva Mendes) a beautiful and intelligent Miami homicide detective. To complicate matters he is carrying on an illicit affair with his High School sweetheart, Ann-Merai Harrison (Sanaa Lathan), who is now the abused wife of a former pro-football player Chris Harrison (Dean Cain).
Matt and Ann-Merai have a special relationship. So special that when Ann-Merai tells Matt that she is dying and that the only thing that will save her is experimental treatments in Europe, he "borrows" $485,000 from the precinct evidence locker. The night that he gives it to her, her house burns down to the ground and two crispy corpses are found in the smoldering ruins. To further exacerbate the situation it looks like he is responsible for the murders and the feds have come to collect the money which is evidence in their case.
Matt must race against time to clear his name and find out a way to replace that money or his whole life will crumble to pieces.
The Dish
Out of Time is a formulaic and predictable thriller. Its saving grace is how the Denzel Washington's character handles the situations he gets himself into. While each step of the movie can be figured out before it happens, what you don't figure out is what Matt is going to do to get himself out of the mess. He stays one step ahead of his officers as they try to solve a crime that points to him as the perpetrator. You can't help but to cheer for him and hope he gets out of whatever pickle he is in. You find yourself on the edge of your seat wanting to scream at the screen at the growing tension - tension that is only broken by the light comedy that is sprinkled throughout.
It's also refreshing to see everyone pretty much playing against type. For once Sanaa isn't the long-suffering girlfriend. Dean Cain playing a woman beater? These two were taking some risks.
The Directive
Filled with cliches, Out of Time, can be a bit tedious and slow moving, but worth watching.
Worth your time.
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Copyright Kamal "The Diva" Larsuel-Ulbricht, 2003
EMAIL: thediva@3blackchicks.com
ICQ: 8690410
http://www.3blackchicks.com/
Rated PG-13; running time of 114 minutes