Movie Reviews
Inside Man 
Rated R, 2:09 (2006)
Starring: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster
Direction: Spike Lee
Production: Brian Grazer
Screenplay: Russell Gerwitz
by Vincent St. James
The Lowdown:
Simply a superb Heist film.
Planned...to perfection?
There are good bank heist movies, and then there are really good bank heist movies. Inside Man is definitely an example of the latter. Spike Lee has brought Russell Gerwitz's screenplay to life and it's some of his best work. The director is able to breathe some fresh air into this genre, and what results is a heist movie with it's own style, flow, and identity.
Basically, a group of bad guys walk into a bank, take people hostage and start making some demands. The cops, as one would expect, try to diffuse the situation to the best of their abilities. But these bad guys are up to something...else. What is it? Who are they? And can they really be as smart as they seem to be? And oh yeah, there is this one lady who seems to have taps on everyone, playing an angle that only she knows about. What should the police, and the robbers for that matter, think of her?
Too many films with stories that revolve around a grand heist of some sorts end up being nothing but caricatures of themselves. They use suave camera tricks and stylish actors to make people think that the movies are better than they really are. Thankfully, Inside Man does not beat around the bush or try to impress us with trickery. Instead, the movie is smart, and challenges its viewers as opposed to forcing them believe in some riduculous stunts. As usual, it takes the right kind of actors to pull this off.
The cast here is superb, and the three leads ace their perfomances. Denzel Washington plays detective Frazer who is in charge of taking care of the hostage situation that has emerged at Manhattan Trust Bank in New York City. Denzel is a natural at these roles, and it's easy to believe him as the smart cop who struggles to figure out an even smarter foe. This is vintage Washington.
The brilliant crook Russell Dalton is played to perfection by Clive Owen. Really. There are no flaws in this performance, and at once we believe him when he says he has planned everything to perfection. He gives his character, and the film, a unique presence. We feel like he really has planned everything. However, there are no suave moods or tough talk, no out of this world feats that he accomplishes. He's just smart and does what he says. Surprisingly, Owen is able to convince us that he's human. Then there is the mystery girl, Ms. White, played very well by Jodie Foster. She gets to play that character whom we secretly want to be: the one who has an infinite supply of powerful contacts and can pull the strings in just about any situation. She doesn't get too much screen time, or as much as the other two leads I should say, and it's a shame because Foster is really cool as the secretive, slick wild card. It's her performance, along with Owen's, that carry the films tone, its sense of style. Without these two, I'd hate to think what the movie would've been like.
Even with lesser actors, though, the film wouldn't be that bad. Not with Spike Lee directing an awesome script. It has smart humor,
such as an encounter between one of the cops and one of the bad guys (bad guy to cop: "If you love her, money shouldn't matter."
Yes, he says that just as he robs a bank).
Kudos to all involved. This movie is very enjoyable, and I must say its worth second look in my opinion. In the words
of Mr. Dalton, this one was just about "planned to perfection."
Copyright 2005-2006. All Rights Reserved.
* Home
* Movies
* Self-Management
* Money-Management
* Education/Careers
* Relationships
* About
* Contact
theCollegeGuys.com