Okay, but who's LOOKING OUT for a new plot line?

After that dream the other night, that I could not will myself back into despite the best of efforts, I just had to check out The Lookout today. I did have to will myself to pay $7.50 for a movie I knew would be mediocre at best, but I had the day off and it was playing at the local theater and I had some time to kill, so it seemed like a reasonable thing to do.

I was right - it was mediocre at best.

Really, Hollywood? Has the creativity been sucked so dry that you can't come up with one lousy brand-new story? You just have to retell the same story over and over again, but change out the variables now and then? "Hmm, let's do a bank heist film, but this time - YEAH! - this time let's feature a main character who has suffered a head injury and can't remember shit, and introduce him to some brand new people who - overnight! - change the core of his being and all that he has ever believed in, to make him the perfect accomplice to their bank heist! And the menacing guy, we'll call him Bone and he will have long hair and be scary and hardly ever speak but when he does it will be profound! And then at the end we'll throw in a twist - maybe the main character CAN remember shit after all!"

I doubt anyone will go out of their way to watch this movie but if you do, I haven't ruined anything. It was all right there in the trailer.

That said, Jeff Daniels was very good. Very good. (I was never a big fan, but I'm finding that I like him more with every new film.)

And, well, you know - staring at JGL for 1.5 hours never did anyone any harm. He was actually very good as well. In fact, all the actors did a great job. Several hours later I have all but forgotten the plot, but some of the dialogue and character interactions linger in my head.

But really, if you want to see what all my JGL hype is about, check out Brick. It's a much better use of your 1.5 hours.