Flawless performance from Gordon-Levitt

I've been reading a lot of comments from other reviewers mentioning possible plot holes in the script, things that don't make sense, things that weren't resolved clearly enough by the end of the movie, yadda yadda yadda. Sure, this is not a flawless film, but I say if you're carping about any of these things, you didn't fully appreciate the bottom line here: the superbly crafted - and flawless - portrayal of Chris Pratt by the actor who, in my opinion, is by far the number one stand-out of his generation, Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Gordon-Levitt has the wonderful and rare ability to draw you in and make you care about his character the moment he appears on screen, just by virtue of his presence. He has an intensity, a focus, an overwhelmingly magnetic field of energy which involves you in the most subtle way, meaning that it's not forced or even intentional. He simply IS the character, and you are being invited to share the truth of that character along with him, for the duration of the experience.

In The Lookout, the character is Chris Pratt, who, through his own reckless actions, has caused himself to wind up mentally challenged, a grim situation he is dealing with on a daily basis, trying the very best he can to keep his dignity and his spirit at least somewhat intact. This is not yer basic heist film by any stretch; it's a character-driven piece, and it works because the actors all understand that fact. There are no easy tie-ups at the end, like in a dreary formula film or a written-by-the-numbers TV drama. But the movie does have a satisfying conclusion because director/writer Scott Frank is smart enough to keep the focus on Chris - how the bank robbery and its aftermath has affected his life and how he will be making different choices from now on based upon what he has gone through.