Denzel is not Out of Time, but full of adventure

Denzel Washington creates another masterpiece in Out of Time, with the film's perfect combination of action, comedy, drama, and romance.

Washington plays the well-respected Chief Matt Whitlock who is suddenly implicated in a double murder. Whitlock is the prominent upholder of the law in the small town of Banyan Key, Florida and recently earned the people's encomium by destroying a hundred thousand dollar drug ring. Although he enjoys the perks that come with his duties, he does not receive the same pleasure from his fractured social life. In the middle of a divorce with detective Alex Diaz (Eva Mendez), Whitlock seeks physical and mental companionship from his new romantic interest Anne Harrison (Samantha Lahaan). Whitlock's situation is further complicated by the fact that Anne is married to Chris (Dean Cain).

As the steamy affair progresses, Whitlock becomes more devoted to Anne and comes to believe that she deserves better than her abusive husband. Very unexpectedly the profoundness of their relationship escalates when Anne discovers that her cancer has come back with a vengeance and the she has only six months to live. The chief is so infatuated with her that he is willing to sacrifice his job for her well-being. He gives Anne the money that was seized from the covert drug operation so that she can seek alternative treatment abroad. Anne plans to leave her husband without telling him, and Whitlock offers to escort her to the airport for her flight to Switzerland. When he goes to retrieve her, he finds her house aflame. The couple is believed to have perished within the fire, but when it is later revealed that they are still alive, the chief is out on a mission to solve the perplexing mystery and clear his good name.

The script incorporates many different plot elements that create the ideal setting for the ideal movie. The action scenes are exciting, but not full of special effects or complicated computer graphics. This makes the movie even more amazing because the suspense from the movie's mystery makes the actions scenes piquant enough for the viewer's pleasure. The romance is also set off by real love, not the tawdry, sheet-turning love affairs that fill so many modern movies. Lastly, comedy is sprinkled throughout the movie, relieving viewers from their preoccupation with the detective's uncertain fate.

The only flaw with this movie is that the character development is sometimes shallow. Don't occupy yourself by eating a large bucket of popcorn, because all of your attention needs to be focused on the plot. You have to digest a great deal of information in a short amount of time, and it would help if the screenwriter included more rounded character summaries of the important characters that cross Whitlock's path. Not to say that the characters had no substance, but there could have been more.

Out of Time is greatly supplemented by its music selections. The minor keys and dark sounds during the tension-filled scenes make the suspense all the more thrilling. Director Carl Franklin does justice to the plot by eliminating music to further amplify the gravity of the most intense situations.

Out of Time, directed by Carl Franklin, is rated PG-13 for some sexual content and mild violence.