Scapegoat – on Steven Soderbergh’s “Out of Sight” (1998)

2 Feb

This film seems.. good not great? But that’s coming from someone who actually can’t stand Ocean’s 11, so do with that what you will.

I like many of Soderbergh’s films, but I also find it hard not to blame him for the whole raft of Ocean’s 11 copycats — American Hustle, Now You See Me — and even the comedy/action popcorn stylings of ensemble franchises like The Avengers, that have come to dominate the box office in the 21st century. I don’t really like that side of what cinema has turned into, at least in part as an result of the success of Ocean’s 11.

And so I can never truly absolve Out Of Sight, for its role as enabler for Soderbergh and Clooney to move on to greenlight *that* film. And I can still acknowledge that Out Of Sight, on its own merits, is a pretty well-made ensemble action/comedy with really good acting performances all around.

3/5 stars.

Phil Pearson

Scapegoat – on Steven Soderbergh’s “Out of Sight” (1998)

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