Out of Time (2003)

Directed by: Carl Franklin | 114 minutes | drama, thriller, crime | Actors: Denzel Washington, Eva Mendes, Sanaa Lathan, Dean Cain, John Billingsley, Robert Baker, Alex Carter, Terry Loughlin, James Murtaugh, Nora Dunn

Denzel Washington stars in the thriller ‘Out Of Time’. This in itself is reason enough to give this film a chance. In ‘The Pelican Brief’, ‘Fallen’, ‘Crimson Tide’ and ‘The Siege’, among others, Denzel Washington has already proven to be a born thriller actor by creating the tension with one facial expression. In this film, too, he fully lives up to his excellent reputation.

The story gets off to a pretty slow start. Police officer Matt Lee Whitlock (Denzel Washington) immediately appears not to fit into the standard hero image that is used in so many films. The working-time alcohol-drinking cop is about to get divorced and has an affair with his married school flame Anne (Sanaa Lathan). Denzel Washington’s natural charisma doesn’t quite match this image and makes sure you have mixed feelings for this person. The sympathy grows as the film progresses, which is also necessary to maintain the tension.

The real thrills take a while, but it’s worth the wait. After forty-five minutes comes the first twist and the good, but somewhat quiet story for a thriller, turns into a real heartbeat. Whitlock finds himself in a tricky situation when his secret love and her husband are found dead in their home. Things get worse when his future ex-wife leads the investigation. With a hefty pile of incriminating evidence, and I mean huge pile, it’s up to the officer to stay just one step ahead of the rest of the team in their search for the culprit. It may not be the most original story ever conceived, but it’s written intelligently enough to make sure you don’t miss a second of the last hour.

After a number of tensions, a promising climax comes into view. If you are also pushed towards the end of your chair towards the end of the story, the story turns out to be just too nice to remain believable. The yeah..right moment makes for a nice ending but is still disappointing after a convincing and catchy film.

Despite a few minor flaws here and there, ‘Out Of Time’ is a very good thriller and, thanks to Denzel Washington, a must to watch.