Like a classic Shakespearean drama, “Out Of Time” is the story of a decent, but flawed man whose seemingly minor foibles threaten to do him in. Denzel Washington plays the tragic hero, Matt Lee Whitlock, in director Carl Franklin’s taut thriller — a steamy whodunit reminiscent of “Body Heat” and the director’s own impressive debut, “One False Move.”
Whitlock is the police chief in diminutive Banyan Key, Florida, a hot and lazy Miami purlieu where crime is of little concern. So the Chief spends his time “investigating” his former high school sweetheart, Ann Merai (Sanaa Lathan), who is stuck in an abusive marriage to ex-football star turned down-and-out security guard Chris Harrison (Dean Cain). Matt cares for Ann, but he’s still madly in love with his beautiful estranged wife, Alex (Eva Mendes), a Miami homicide detective.
After Ann reveals she’s dying of cancer and in need of expensive treatment, Matt comes to the rescue, “loaning” her a half-million bucks seized in a recent drug bust. She, in turn, names him as the beneficiary on a $1 million life insurance policy. And before you can say, “Bad idea, Chief,” Ann and Chris are killed in an arson, and the DEA shows up to claim the missing drug money. It isn’t long before all the evidence begins to point to Matt, a dilemma further complicated because his wife is the lead investigator on the case.
Washington simply does not turn in a bad day at the office, and his performance in “Out Of Time” is no exception. He effectively juggles an assortment of disparate emotions that run from remorse to anger to fear. Still, you get the feeling that Matt Whitlock could have benefited from a little of the over-the-top swagger Washington employed so effectively in “Training Day.” Mendes, on the other hand, is given a lot more to work with than she was in “Training Day” (playing Denzel’s love interest in that film as well), and she makes the most of it. If there was any doubt she’s going to be a star, it’s erased in “Out Of Time.” The real find, though, is John Billingsly as the drunken medical examiner who goes to great lengths to help Matt stay a few steps ahead of everyone else. The guy is a scene-stealer, thanks in large part to some very funny comic relief penned by impressive first-time screenwriter Dave Collard. Kudos also go to cinematographer Theo Van De Sande, who deftly layers the delicate hues of the lush Florida keys beneath the frenzy of Whitlock’s desperate race against time. (Rated PG-13 for sexual content, violence and some language. Running time: 105 minutes)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 3, 2003. Read the original PDF.