Out of Time

Average in every way but two; Denzel and Eva Mendes. He’s the perfect fit for the everyman-being-framed scenario and she’s just so incredibly attractive on screen it’s hard not to fall for her.

Lead couple aside, Out of Time offers a formula we’ve seen before. A small town cop gets in too deep with a dodgy woman and she frames him for a crime, along with her husband. He then has to fight to clear his name. To complicate things, one of the lead detectives is Denzel’s wife, soon to be ex-wife, Eva Mendes.

The film is tight and well paced, and is a small cut above others of its ilk. Franklin is no Hitchcock but the tension builds nicely throughout and Washington has the charm to make you root for him. It’s unlikely you’ll be caught out by any of the twists and turns, the screenplay is pretty weak, but there are definitely a few edge-of-the-seat moments.

Unless you’re a Denzel fan such as myself (or… ahem… an Eva Mendes fan, if you catch my drift) it’s hard to think of a reason to watch this.

I had a reason though. I was bored, on a Saturday, and I wanted to watch something brainless but well made with some beer and pizza. Also, it had to be one I hadn’t seen before. I got exactly what I asked for.

You won’t be sorry you watched Out of Time if it happens to be on TV, just don’t put down any money to see it. Also, a word of warning, Dean Cain (yes, the TV Superman) is in this and it’s painful.