out of sight

'out of sight'
dir., steven soderbergh
1998

i've always thought steven soderbergh had an aversion to sex and eroticism in his films, although his debut film 'sex lies and videotape' is very much about sexual compulsion and obsession. we never get to see the goods in his films or get a sense that his characters are interested in the goods. that's not to say his characters are not sexual in an obvious sense or are completely devoid of sexuality, but with the exception of his first film, 'solaris' and 'out of sight', we're never treated to a world that is as sexy as his visual style. 'solaris' has some great moments of erotic tenderness between a husband and wife, but i think he succeeded the most in portraying a film brand of sex and eroticism in his terribly overlooked 1998 film, 'out of sight.' soderbergh has always had deft eye for casting whether it be a group of homely locals in 'bubble' or the most contemporary charismatic leading men in the 'oceans' series. he gets it perfectly in 'out of sight' with the nubile hardness of jennier lopez (pre-j.lo/bennifer/marc anthony) and the smoldering power of george clooney. it's a fierece cat and mouse game throughout the film as we watch u.s. marshall lopez chase down bank robber clooney. these kinds of films don't exist much more anymore. films built on thin premises in which men and women hunt each other (literally) and create a slow burn of heat and tension along the way. i can see traces of 'the thomas crown affair' and every bogie and bacall movie. the fight for power and who's on top (literally) translates so perfectly to film that when done right, the film crackles with chemistry.

watch these two characters pause from their goals of arresting and escaping to indulge in a brief moment together. the dialogue is punchy and almost how us normal human beings don't speak but in a perfect world we wish we could. soderbergh ingeniously cross cuts the hotel bar conversation with the eventual tryst in the hotel room. this technique further enhances the power of tension between the two characters. i also love the freeze frames of lopez's face, knees, and hands as if this is literally a filmic pause where not only do we see the characters take an intermission of sorts but also the film itself. the lighting of twinkling snowflakes and handheld cinematography gives the scene a sense of freedom but romanticism (it is their first time together). take notice that the film implicates them as equals by framing them on opposing sides of the frame or cutting back and forth between their closeups. they are one in the same--complicated people after a single goal (hers to arrest, his to steal). when they finally do meet at the end of the scene it is beyond sexy.

this is a masterclass in creating heat on screen.