Yesterday evening I was in the mood for some intelligent escapist fare and turned to an old favorite, "Out of Sight." The movie, not the book. It is the rare example of a movie that is better than the book it is based on. (The floor is open, and I will seed it with "The Godfather".) George Clooney stars as a bank robber who gets caught. The revelation is Jennifer Lopez. She was a good actress before becoming a tabloid feature. The scene with them in the trunk of a car is classic. Dennis Farina, who recently departed the long line of Chicago actors, is also terrific as J-Lo's dad.

The spirit of Elmore Leonard, who wrote the book, is alive in every scene. And Steven Soderburgh, the director, was at his peak.