The other day I was channel surfing and came upon Neil Labute's terrific "In The Company Of Men", I hadn't seen it in years and, after sitting through the bulk of it again, I wondered out loud "Why can't they make smart films like this anymore?" When I saw the same channel was running Labute's latest film "Out Of The Blue" I figured, "Why not?" It's a kind of neo-noir starring Jack Nicholson's son Roy( Chinatown prequel anyone?) and Diane Kruger that features some curious titles "Some Time Later" "A Little Later Than That"- that lead me to believe that in a last ditch effort to avoid serious scrutiny Labute kind of mocks the genre hoping you "get" the joke. It doesn't work, which isn't surprising since almost nothing works here.

Among the things that don't work, the chief offender is the femme fatale at the center of the drama. In the best romantic noir's there is, at the core, the "Baby, I don't care" rule (instituted from "Out Of The Past"- if you don't know the film- stop reading and find it) which, in short, means that the draw to the flame is so strong that our protagonist has lost his sense of reason. The best romantic noir films "Postman Always Rings Twice 1946"and especially "Body Heat" feature this element. As I said to my wife- "I'd go to jail for Lana Turner, to hell for Kathleen Turner, but Diane Kruger? I wouldn't go to the store..." The lack of a "to die for" femme fatale is a body blow to a noir but it is not always fatal. Smart dialogue and a clever plot can still make a compelling film ( contrary to popular opinion I see "Double Indemnity" in this category).

Labute, however, has not graced us with either here. The dialogue is a disappointment and the plot is a rehash of Body Heat /Bound. Disturbingly, the film looks cheap, and in an era when so many cheap films look fantastic. Virtually the only thing that really works, as many have noted, is Hank Azaria's character. Sad to report.

It's bad, you know the second they reference The Postman Always Rings Twice and Double Indemnity right at the start it's not going to be good. Then by the time the Detour scene comes in It's like a dead dog stinking up the joint and you just want to bury it humanely. I know Kruger from her role in Inglourious Basterds, and a few other flicks out there where she did a decent job. She's got talent. This was not one of those roles, none of the actors did a passable job from the sheriff to probation officer Azaria, the daughter, husband, boyfriend/thief, they all stunk, people reference Lifetime and Hallmark, this is not even on that level, there isn't even a believable love or lust scene or dramatic bit in the movie. This is CBC quality, aka Canadian Broadcasting Corp stuff here, we're talking The Beachcombers or Littlest Hobo type 70s stuff here. The ending was a blessing, of course she ends up with the daughter lol, so predictable and 2022, the bore is over at least, not a chance I will ever watch this again.

I cannot believe I just got sucked in and watched this entire movie. The main reason for its low rating is the acting. Krueger and Azaria were the only decent actors. I felt like I was watching a Nickelodeon teen soap. Well, with a little more spice and violence. The story itself wasn't too bad but it started spiraling near the end. The very ending was the WORST. Please...with all the creative people in Hollywood I am sure they can do a better job than this! The only thing this movie had going for it was the scenery. Looks like it takes place in the northeast and it's just gorgeous! That's the only way it got its 1 star.