Out of Sight (1998)

IMDb plot summary: A career bank robber breaks out of jail and shares a moment of mutual attraction with a U.S. marshal he has kidnapped.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Starring George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames, and Don Cheadle.

When I saw someone had assigned me this in a movie exchange group I'm in, I kind of rolled my eyes and thought, "OK, I'll give it a shot." It just didn't seem like something I'd enjoy. Somehow, it manages to work for me. George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez have great chemistry together, but Lopez's character all on her own was fascinating to me. She truly is a smart, competent woman (something a lot of action movies attempt but few succeed in), and while she does get all gooey over Clooney, he's equally gooey over her, and they end up being on surprisingly equal footing. I'd forgotten Soderbergh was the director until the credits rolled at the end, but it makes sense, because there are a few artfully directed scenes that don't fit the typical action romance thriller style -- when Steve Zahn is caught in the middle of a bloodbath at a drug dealer's house, for instance. I don't know how long it'll stick with me, but I had a good time on this ride.

3 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Out of Sight > Wedding Crashers
Out of Sight < Soapdish
Out of Sight < Kung Fu Hustle
Out of Sight > Batman Forever
Out of Sight > The Miracle Worker
Out of Sight < Extraordinary Measures
Out of Sight > The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair
Out of Sight > Struck by Lightning
Out of Sight < Miracle on 34th Street
Out of Sight > Avengers: Age of Ultron
Out of Sight > Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Final spot: #1006 out of 2559.