Movie Recommendation - The Lookout

[Steve]

Last weekend I saw what I think was an outstanding movie.

The Lookout

Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Tommy - 'Third Rock').

I've been a big Joseph Gordon-Levitt fan since I saw
his outstanding dramatic performance in 'Sweet Jane'
where he plays a boy dying of AIDS who is befriended
by an HIV-positive heroin addict played by Samantha
Mathis. Both did a truly outstanding job in this
movie and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that
Joseph Gordon-Levitt truly has the 'chops' to play a
serious dramatic role. 

Since then I have been following his career which has
consisted of serious independent films of outstanding
quality.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt's IMDB filmography listing -
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0330687/

Here is a brief synopsis of the movie 'The Lookout'
also starring Jeff Daniels, Mathew Goode, and 
Isla Fisher.

"An admired high school hockey player (Joseph Gordon-
Levitt) with a bright future foolishly takes a drive 
in the night with his girl friend and two other friends
with his headlights off with devastating results. The 
former athlete is left with a brain injury that prevents
him from remembering many things for extended periods 
of time. To compensate, he keeps notes in a small 
notebook to aid him in remembering what he is to do."

"Thus he works as a night cleaning man in a bank. It is
there he comes under the scrutiny of a gang planning to
rob the bank. The leader (Matthew Goode) befriends him 
and gets him involved with a young woman (Isla Fisher) 
who further reels him in."

"After realizing he is being used, he attempts to stop
the robbery, which of course immediately goes awry."

This is a very suspenseful dramatic movie with 
engaging characters and a captivating story. Unlike
other Hollywood stories, this one comes off as very 
believable. As the end of the story played out I
found myself, heart pounding, on the edge of my 
seat. Despite the action and suspense, the story
is also very touching.

For those who love independent films, and grow weary
of the standard Hollywood fair, I whole heartedly
recommend this movie which is currently available in
video stores.

For true fans of independent film, I also highly 
recommend these Joseph Gordon-Levitt films -

Brick (2005)- an excellent story that won the Sundance
Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision. To
some extent this is a concept film. They have written
a gritty detective story that plays out at a high
school. Again, you can find a synopsis at IMDB

Mysterious Skin (2004) - the story of two boys who 
were abused by their baseball coach and how that 
still impacts their lives many years later.

Manic (2001) - the story of a trouble boy who is 
sent to an mental institution for attacking another
boy at school. 

Sweet Jane (1998) - as mentioned above.

These are the finest in independent films, and are 
certainly far and away above the standard Hollywood
fair that you typically see in the theaters. 

Normally, I would bother to mention this, and just
keep my personal taste in movies to myself, but the
character of Chris Pratt was so engaging and 
sympathetic, and the story rang so true, I just 
couldn't help myself. 

Considering that I now live in a small town I consider
myself luck to have stumbled across a gem like this.

Steve/bboyminn