An unpredictable thriller, "The Lookout" stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt ("Brick", "Mysterious Skin") as Chris, a young man who had everything ahead of him--until a car accident killed two of his friends and left him with brain damage. Now reduced to being a janitor at a bank, Chris struggles to maintain some semblance of order in his life. When a guy he meets at a bar turns out to be an old classmate, Chris succumbs to his flattery, not suspecting that the guy's intentions are criminal. "The Lookout" was probably sold as "Memento" meets "Inside Man", but its rewards are more modest than either. Though the plot is never obvious, the characters are never surprising--and in this kind of thriller, the payoff is when characters exceed what they (and the audience) believe they are. Still, the writing, acting, and directing are all solid, and from moment to moment the movie proves compelling. Jeff Daniels ("The Purple Rose of Cairo") is particularly good as Chris's blind roommate, who smells a rat but can't persuade Chris to do something about it. "--Bret Fetzer"