Directed by: Spike Lee
Screenplay written by: Russell Gewirtz
Actors: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher
Plummer, Willem Defoe,
Rated: R (For language and some violent scenes)
Directed by: Spike Lee
Screenplay written by: Russell Gewirtz
Actors: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Willem Defoe,
Directed by: Spike Lee
Rated: R (For language and some violent scenes)
Dalton Russell is a criminal mastermind (played by Clive Owen) who has brilliantly thought of all the angles for he and his team to create subterfuge after gaining access to the vault in one of the oldest banking institutions in Manhattan. In broad daylight, they enter the bank full of customers and employees disguised in painter’s garb before brandishing automatic weapons, shouting life-threatening commands to the terrified hostages, and demanding a 747 jet.
When the founder and chairman of the bank’s board (Christopher Plummer) is made aware of the robbery in process, his fear of exposing something hidden away for decades within a particular safe-deposit box makes him resort to an elite professional “arranger”, Madeline White (Jodie Foster), to delicately interface with the robbers on his behalf. An effective power-broker paid to protect her client’s interests, she boldly plunges in despite the concerns of a newly assigned savvy N.Y.P.D.
Detective Frazier (Denzel Washington) who is in charge of the negotiations. His suspicion about White’s involvement only complicates the cat-and-mouse games that escalate before he realizes that there is much more to this robbery/hostage situation than meets the eye.
He Said:
This was no typical lower budget Spike Lee directed film (“She Hate Me”, “Malcolm X”, “Bamboozled”, etc.). “Inside Man” has to be his best film effort so far. Clearly, the quality of the cast alone made this movie special and worth seeing, but the most pleasant surprise was the intellectually challenging plot that had me from Jodie and Denzel’s first “hello”.
The fast moving and intriguing storyline leaves the viewer to fill in the carefully thought out blanks. Clive Owen was just as good as Washington, Foster, and Plummer always are, with great character laying that also kept you thinking on another level and wondering what’s really going on here?
I would recommend this one for more than just providing rainy afternoon entertainment. It evolved into a thinking person’s crime/drama/thriller that will keep you as enthralled as it did me.
On the R&R Scale (1-10):
8 for Script (Good sub-plotting and not your typical robbery scenario) 7 for Direction (Lee earned my respect this time, but shaky camera work stains me)
8 for Acting (A great ensemble of talent who showed their stuff)
8 for Plot (Intriguing twists from beginning to end)
8 for Entertainment value (Evenly entertaining) 7.8 Overall
She Said:
Spike Lee’s brand of entertainment has never ranked high on my list until now. “Inside Man” definitely allowed him to show his talent as more than just a “cult director” establishing that he can select and deliver excellent and mentally interesting entertainment.
The combination of his non-linear timeline, the prestigious cast, and clever writing, produced a stylish puzzler not typical of a plot driven by a bank heist with hostages. Jodie Foster and Clive Owen were particularly good in their intriguing roles that made you want to know as much about these complex beings as finding out what Christopher Plummer’s true motivations are.
I really liked “Inside Man” and the untypical aspects that Spike Lee brought to the screen in his filming, pacing, and plot delivery. Resolution and justice takes an interesting twist in the end.
On the R&R Scale (1-10)
8 for Script (Not typical of a bank heist movie)
8 for Direction (I liked the camera work that added to the perspective of being in the midst of it all)
8 for Acting (Some of Hollywood’s best added quality)
8 for Plot (Intriguingly layered)
8 for Entertainment value 8.0 Overall
