It can't be over stated how great the films were in the 90's. I started high school in 1990 so I was at the perfect age to start exploring films beyond the multiplex. Netflix hadn't killed Blockbuster and Blockbuster hadn't killed the mom & pop video stores. It was a great time to be a young cinefile in the making. The indie boom was in full swing and every major studio had divisions maker smaller films specifically designed to be different and original. I know everybody looks back at their youth and thinks "they just don't make 'em like that anymore." Its cliche but dear god its true. When I was a kid we had better movies.
Exhibit A:
Out of Sight
Sure this is a film about cops and robbers but its not terribly concerned with the minutia of criminal life or procedural existence. When you watch this film turn off that part of your brain that looks for realism. The dialogue is very stylized and the visuals are straight out of 60's cool. All of these elements are supported and elevated by a (for lack of better word) groovy score from David Holmes.
The film is also brilliantly cast, every performance feels well thought out and fully realized. When you consider the size of the cast that's something of a miracle. I couldn't find one weak link. Not that I was looking for one one but I was struck by how many great characters are in this picture. George Clooney is so insanely charismatic and fun to watch. He is the epitome of the every man wants to be him every woman wants to be him actor.
Steven Soderbergh is really starting to hit his stride with this one and while it does feel like a young filmmaker is behind it, you can't deny the craftsmanship that went into the making of this film. Every scene is tightly constructed but the dialogue is so conversational and loose that the film feels almost improvised. The narrative structure of the film also plays out the same way it does in the book. This is a non-linear film where if it were in the hands of a lesser filmmaker working with a lesser script and lesser actors it could have been a complete mess. This is a beautiful melding content and execution. No aspect of this film feels lazy or phoned in. Every element complements the other elements and creates a cacophony of bad ass-ness.
If you haven't seen seen Out of Sight, remedy that immediately. If its been a couple years, re watch it. If this is in your regular rotation, this is one of many ways that you are better than me. But I will be adding this to the revisit list so you can't hold it over my head for too long.