Out of Time (2003 film)

Matthias "Matt" Lee Whitlock is the respected Chief of Police of the small Florida Keys town of Banyan Key. Recently separated, Whitlock is currently seeing local resident Anne Merai-Harrison, an old flame from high school whose husband Chris, a former professional quarterback seemingly oblivious to the relationship, abuses her. While attending Anne to the doctor, Matt finds out she has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Matt is also going through a divorce from his wife, homicide detective Alex, and confides in his friend, medical examiner Chae.

Anne intends to reward Matt's loyalty to her by making him the sole beneficiary of her $1,000,000 life insurance policy. Matt suggests that she should travel to Switzerland to undergo a newly-developed, groundbreaking treatment. The problem is that Anne does not have any money. Desperate to help her, Matt takes $485,000 out of evidence and gives it to her so she can make the trip. When the money goes up in flames in a suspicious house fire that kills Anne and Chris, Matt is horrified to find their charred remains.

Upon investigation, Matt discovers that the doctor that diagnosed Anne was an imposter, Anne didn’t have cancer, and that he has been set up.

When the Drug Enforcement Administration agents call the next day to get the evidence money in order to bust a higher drug lord, Matt responds erratically. He finds out that the money is now with the imposter doctor and that Alex is about to bust him. He rushes to the hotel and after a brief struggle, he accidentally kills the imposter, takes the money and flees. Although Matt is seen by the police, he is thought to have come to protect Alex.

Later that evening, Alex finds that Matt is Anne's sole beneficiary and also that he has been in a relationship with her. At the same time, Matt receives a distress call from Anne, who is still alive, and unofficially goes to save her. Chris and Matt fight, Anne shoots and kills Chris. Then Anne reveals that she had planned all of this and shoots Matt in the leg.

When Anne is about to kill Matt, Alex kills her; Alex traced Matt using a GPS tracker and asks him whether he planned to elope with the money but Matt reveals that he has not brought the money with him. When the irritated DEA agents come to arrest Matt as he had promised to deliver the money earlier that day, he says that his man was sent to Miami, and simultaneously Chae appears with the money, explaining about a wrong address and that he could not find the DEA office. So the DEA agents leave with the money and Matt has no charges on him.

Later, when Matt is on medical leave, Chae visits him with news that Matt is the recipient of Anne's insurance policy. But Alex says that, "as his wife," she knows that Matt has to reject it, meaning that she has decided to drop the divorce and move back in with Matt. Overjoyed, Matt seemingly forgets about the life insurance money, though Chae is amusingly adamant that Matt must take it.

2004 Black Reel Awards

• Won: Best Theatrical Film
• Nominated: Best Actor, Denzel Washington
• Won: Best Actress, Sanaa Lathan
• Nominated: Best Director, Carl Franklin

2004 Image Awards

• Nominated: Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture, Denzel Washington
• Nominated: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, Sanaa Lathan

The film received a score of 64% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 150 reviews, with an average rating of 6.33 out of 10. The critical consensus states the film is a "fun and stylish thriller if you can get past the contrivances."[2]

WAP and Java mobile phone games based upon this movie were released in the UK in association with O2 and Momentum Pictures by Kalador Entertainment Inc.[3]

The film was originally rated R but was later re-rated PG-13 by the MPAA for "sexual content, violence and some language".

Out of Time was released on VHS and DVD on January 6, 2004, in widescreen-only for both formats.

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• Out of Time at IMDb
• Out of Time at Rotten Tomatoes