Inside Man
By: Moviefaire | Category: On DVD | 08/08/06 | 10:16 AM
 |  |  Grade: A- | Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
Summary: A "Spike Lee Joint" that delivers a satisfying, big-Hollywood heist movie in the best sense of the genre, sprinkled with a stellar cast that includes uber-cool Denzel Washington and Clive Owen. A nice night out for the money.
This movie introduces you to Dalton Russell (Clive Owen), criminal mastermind, with a monologue that appears to take place from a prison cell. So okay, we think we know how it ends, but hang on, sorting this plot out is half the fun in this two-hour flashback of a bank-robbery where cool, collected thieves execute a daytime siege of the main Manhattan Trust Bank. The heist happens when a band of gunmen take over this Wall Street bank and seize hostages who are forced to wear the same coveralls and white masks as the crooks to confuse the cops. Enter expert negotiator Detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington), who has his own cloud of mystery, as does this rich, complicated story of twists and turns. The dance begins between Frazier and Russell as they play mental games with each other in this film that is strongly reminiscent of some of Sydney Lumet's films such as Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico, and while this film is not exactly on the same par, it comes close and is a substantial effort in that direction. In fact, Frazier, makes mention of that epic film when he and mastermind Russell debate the escape plan details, by saying, "We've all seen Dog Day Afternoon, you're stalling." |
 | | | Inside Man | | Starring: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Willem Dafoe & Chiwetel Ejiofor | | Director: Spike Lee |
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The cast in this movie is the grace of this film, bar none, and while Spike Lee does an admirable job in this new genre for him as a director, it is the cast that creates the excitement for the viewer. There is nothing as much fun as seeing pros who like their material, have great lines, and interact with each other in crackling scenes onscreen. Washington energizes the movie as Frazier, an NYPD negotiator who has a few blemishes on his record, and yet gives his most likeable and relaxed performance in years, despite the intensity of the film. Clive Owen, as the calculating criminal mastermind, does a remarkable job of acting regardless of being trapped in a mask most of the film, and can bring wit, humanity and menace to his role within seconds of each other. These two actors are amazing to watch and they hold your attention without expending hardly any angst or effort, for they are simply great actors who are able to deliver in a strong way. Jodie Foster, as Madeline White, is the Manhattan power broker with her own mystery and purposes, adding to the mix of intrigue, and she delivers an icy performance she seems to relish. White is a woman called upon to straighten out difficult situations for the rich and shameless with dark secrets, and the wealthy banker, Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer) whose bank is being held hostage, is one of those people. White can walk into the mayor's office and demand him to get her involved in this robbery case because he owes her favors. Now why she gets involved is a major spoiler, and that I will not give away because this film is worth a viewing or rental at the very least.
Director Spike Lee creates a rapidly shot flick that never slows down with the same energetic magic of some of his finer films, and while this is a mainstream movie for Lee, he delivers his brand filming solidly while not selling out. This film rocks like New York does, and Lee puts together this movie with precision using some familiar people to his work besides Washington, such as Barry Alexander Brown who does a smashing job of editing, and Wynn Thomas on production design. Although this film might be Lee's most commercially successful to date, even in this superbly crafted movie, he is not afraid to engage and confront issues of race, but these moments do not dominate the film and are more for minor social commentary than a part of the plot. The camera continually circles and stalks the actors, creating a sense of chaos to the city he knows so well and to a story that is not your normal heist film. The tidy chronological order of most robbery films is absent in this story and in fact it is back to front in this movie, with cuts here, and segues there, to different times and scenes, but Spike Lee's got game in this film, and the camera work done by Lee and cinematographer Matthew Libatique kept me interested in every scene.
So for a Sydney-Lumet-type of film, Lee in my opinion comes quite close here, but Inside Man is uniquely his own, and while he permits his social commentary to bubble through once in a while, he stays on course. The suspense is hot, the acting is glorious fun to watch, and the script by first time screenwriter Russell Gewirtz keeps you guessing all the way until the end. This might actually be the first movie I thoroughly enjoyed so far this year, which is probably a sad statement in retrospect, but hey, summer's coming, so maybe there's hope.
Originally Posted: May 8, 2006
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