Every month the Irish Film Institute presents its latest entry to the Bigger Picture, their programme strand in which a key film is screened with an introduction from a special guest, the Dublin cinema centre establishing its own film canon, as built by the people of the fair city of film. Over the years guests at the IFI to add their entry have included directors like Neasa Hardiman and Colm Bairéad, writers from Donald Clarke to Una Mullally, prominent figures like Leo Varadkar, film understanderer, and now, founder and editor of Film in Dublin, lovely boy Luke Dunne.
On Monday 19th August, the people’s prince Luke Dunne will introduce the latest Bigger Picture. The dashing and witty film blogger has selected the similarly dashing and witty film Out Of Sight, Steven Soderbergh’s adaptation of the novel by crime thriller legend Elmore Leonard. Tickets are available now for this screening, which we recommend if you enjoy classic 90s Hollywood cinema, or hearing from handsome and interesting Luke Dunne who, in the interests of full disclosure, is me.
Ahead of next week’s event, I sat down with myself to dig into what made this an essential entry to the IFI’s quilt of cinematic classics, and to ponder if this article is the lowest point possible in my editorial standards.
With the full history of cinema to pick from, I’m curious what made you drill down to this film specifically.
I feel like for this kind of screening, you want to go for a film that’s a very even mix, equal parts a personal pick and a crowd pleaser. Out Of Sight has always been one of my favourites, I own the DVD, I even went back and bought the original novel after enjoying the film so much.
With the IFI in the midst of their American Independents season, it made for a good fit. Steven Soderbergh was one of the directors who kick started a hugely successful era of indie cinema in America in the 90s after his debut, Sex, Lies & Videotape. He floundered a bit after that big debut though, and it was Out Of Sight that put him on the comeback trail. It put him together with George Clooney, which turned into a very lucrative partnership for both of them in the Ocean’s movies. Its smart and stylish presentation, not to mention its nomination for Scott Frank for Best Adapted Screenplay, really established Soderbergh as a director who you wanted to put in front of really strong scripts – and he got two big ones in short order not long after this in Traffic and Erin Brockovich. It really helped seal him as an American Independent success story, which he is to this day.
It’s also just a great example of a film that you want to share with people, and it’s very easy to get people onside for – it’s got both big stars and lot of the best American charactor actors packed in there, so it works for more casual viewers and film nerds like me. It’s funny and fast moving, and smart, and sexy, to me that’s just the kind of film you want to see in a crowd on a big screen. I’ve only ever seen it at home on my own, so I’m grateful to the IFI to get to experience a film like this in the setting that best suits it.
Your website Film In Dublin has a particular focus on Irish film, was picking a more local film something that you considered?
In my defence, the IFI very tactfully and tastefully declined my first suggestion, which was Gorgo, the Godzilla knockoff from the Irish Sea.
Seriously it is something I thought about, to tie our ethos at Film In Dublin with the Bigger Picture. There would have been plenty of great Irish films to put forward. Sing Street definitely would fit from that crowdpleaser perspective, you could do Intermission to celebrate Dublin and Dublin filmaking. But to be honest the ethos of Film In Dublin is already there in the premise of the Bigger Picture itself. Taking people from around the fair city of film and getting them to reflect, share and celebrate what film itself means to them, that’s such a wonderful idea and through it the IFI really shows what a hub for cinema Dublin is.
Great answer, although you stole my line with that ‘fair city of film’ reference.
True but you know it says ‘fair city of cinema’ on your About Us page yeah?
Enough of that now.
It does also have a tangental Irish angle. The music is scored by Belfast DJ David Holmes, this brilliantly light-touch jazzy score that fits the vibe perfectly. Holmes was only supposed to do a few bits for the film but Soderbergh liked his work so much he got him to do the whole thing, in fact Holmes has ended up doing most of Soderbergh’s films.
For the unititiated, how would you describe Out Of Sight?
It’s Clooney as the gentleman felon Jack Foley, who busts out of prison only to run right into a shotgun wielding U.S. Marshal, Jennifer Lopez’s Karen Sisco. He kidnaps her as part of his escape effort, and after her escape she’s determined to track him down, the only problem is when you bundle two of the most beautiful people in recorded history into the boot of a car together, it creates a complicated amount of chemistry. Foley is trying to set up another big score, Sisco is trying to bring him in, but both of them are caught breathless in the middle of sexual tension you could cut with a knife. It clings to them like sweat on the small of the back, like lipstick smeared on a whiskey glass, like fingerprints on a crime scene. It rules. It’s so much fun.
It’s Exhibit A for Clooney as a proper Movie Star, his charisma is undeniable. And there’s no better example of how much Hollywood has failed J-Lo. Besides Ben Affleck I guess.
Sounds great. And tickets are available now Luke Dunne?
That’s right Luke Dunne. It’s on at 6.10pm on Monday, and you can get them from the IFI box office, or from their website now HERE.
You’re meant to be the interviewee you’re being quoted you can’t hyperlink.
It’s my website I can do whatever I want.
Clearly.