Editor Reviews:

Description:
Two-time Academy Award(r) winner* Denzel Washington (Training Day) is "fantastic [in this] inventive, exciting and spellbinding thriller" ("The Movie Network") co-starring Eva Mendes (2 Fast 2 Furious), Sanaa Lathan (Blade) and Dean Cain ("Lois & Clark"). In Banyan Key, a small Florida town surrounded by azure seas and sultry secrets, Chief of Police Matt Whitlock (Washington) finds himself caught in the eye of a storm and about to get blown away. Investigating the murder of a woman he was secretly seeing, Matt races to uncover a murky trail of stolen money, drugs and deceit, all the while staying two steps ahead of his own detectives because all the evidence points to him! *2001: Actor, Training Day; 1989: Supporting Actor, Glory

Amazon.com:
Partly inspired by 1948's The Big Clock and its nominal 1987 remake No Way Out, the Denzel Washington thriller Out of Time is quite enjoyable if you ignore its implausible plotting. Like those earlier films, this reunion of Washington and his Devil in a Blue Dress director Carl Franklin is about a man--in this case the police chief (Washington) of sleepy Banyan Key, Florida--who falls into a trap set by others, sinks into legal quicksand of his own making, and must race the clock to extricate himself from a series of incriminating setbacks. The Florida setting adds welcome character to the potboiler plot, and Washington's screen-cred makes it easy to overlook the absurdities of rookie writer David Collard's screenplay. Eva Mendes is sharp and sensible as Washington's estranged wife (do you think they'll reconcile for a happy ending?), and the talented John Billingsley--whose portrayal of "Dr. Phlox" on TV's Enterprise is vastly underrated--is a constant delight as Washington's medical examiner, beer buddy and wily co-conspirator. It's hardly a classic, but Out of Time goes well with a big tub of popcorn. --Jeff Shannon

Rating : - MODERN NOIR DONE RIGHT
One problem it seems that many movies offer today is when the trailers, or previews as some call them, turn out to be so much better than the actual movie. You watch one of these and decide that it's worth investing the time and money in, only to discover that the best parts were in that trailer and the movie as a whole stinks.

Once in a while, the opposite holds true. You see a trailer and decide that the movie couldn't be any good so you pass it by, waiting for it to show up on television or cable. When you finally do you wonder why it was that they didn't try and let you know before hand just how entertaining this movie actually was. Such is the case with OUT OF TIME.

Denzel Washington stars as Matt Lee Whitlock, the police chief of a small Florida town. At present, he is in the midst of an affair with Ann Harrison (Sanaa Lathan), an old high school flame and the wife of ex-high school rival Chris Harrison (Dean Cain). It seems that Chris now beats his wife and Matt was reintroduced to her in response to the call two months back.

At the same time, Matt is going through a divorce with his wife Alex (Eva Mendes), a detective in a much larger nearby city. It seems that their jobs have come between them and both have decided to move on.

The plot develops as Matt learns that Ann has cancer that only an expensive treatment can cure. With no money to speak of, he takes money being held in evidence for the DEA and gives it to her to seek help, expecting it to be paid back before it is needed when she can trade off on her insurance policy.

The plan changes when a fire engulfs Ann's house and two bodies are found. Evidence of arson is discovered. And shortly after that, the bodies are identified as not those of Ann or Chris. Matt has been set up from the get go and if he doesn't work quickly, will become the lead suspect in a double homicide and insurance scam.

Matt stays one step ahead of the detective assigned to the case, his soon to be ex. But he can't hold back certain evidence forever. And as each piece is uncovered, Matt if brought closer to the true criminals behind the whole scheme. One false step will lead to his arrest and conviction.

The pacing of this movie is what makes it work. Scenes that could be drug out forever are set up so as to hold you in suspense and not make you refer to your watch every few minutes. The plotline develops over time (though much of it could have been discovered in that same lame trailer) as do the clues that offer Matt a chance to redeem himself.

Washington does what he does best. He turns in another great performance as the beleaguered police chief who falls for the wrong woman. As I stated in a previous review, the proof of a great actor is one who while watching never makes you think that he/she is acting. Washington does that in all of the roles he has done to date.

The supporting casts also turn in fine performances but the film never quite focuses on any of them. Yes, their characters are important to the story. But each seems more of a small piece of what is going on as opposed to Washington who takes center stage from beginning to end.

Like the film noir of the past, this movie offers a lead character that is the hero and yet flawed at the same time. Done wrong by a woman he seeks a way out. For many this may seem like an overused plot device. And some of the events that happen, including things Matthias does to obstruct the investigation, may appear on the surface to be far fetched. But the thing is it isn't real life, it's only a movie. And as a movie, it offers a great mystery and entertainment value through and through.