Out of Time (DVD, 2004)

Carl Franklin and Denzel Washington (DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS) reteam for this hilariously refreshing noir thriller. Washington is Matt Lee Whitlock, police chief of a small Florida town just outside of Miami. In the process of getting a divorce from the woman he still loves, Alex (the sultry Eva Mendes), Chief Whitlock has begun to have an affair with Anne (Sanaa Lathan), wife of abusive ex-football quarterback Chris Harrison (Dean Cain). When he learns that Anne has terminal cancer and doesn't have long to live, Whitlock's stupidity gets the better of him. He steals $450,000 cash that is waiting to be sent to the feds in order to help her out. But when both Anne and Chris's dead bodies are discovered the next morning, all of the signs point to Whitlock. As the clamps begin to tighten and the excuses begin to lose their already shaky groundings, Whitlock must use his cunning to track down the money and clear his name once and for all. Gleefully subverting typical film noir conventions, first-time screenwriter David Collard's script is an utter delight. Featuring outstanding supporting turns from Lathan and Mendes, OUT OF TIME is a rollicking ride through the swampy haze of southern Florida.