Inside Man

Starring: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Chietel Ejiofor, Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe
Directed by: Spike Lee
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Thriller
2006

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: The perfect bank robbery turns into a cat-and-mouse game between the criminal mastermind (Clive Owen) and the hostage negotiator (Denzel Washington).

Review:

Tim: Spike Lee directs this twisting, complicated film. From the trailers, it looked like it would be an absolute masterpiece. In reality, it is far less so. It is a decent movie, at times, it is great. However, the majority of the movie is disappointing.

Denzel Washington gives a weird, unexpected performance. He is not exactly the heroic guy we've come to know and love. In fact, at times it is actually somewhat difficult to root for him. This is partially because of the strangeness of his character, and partially because of Clive Owen. Criminal "masterminds" have appeared on screen numerous times. Rarely have they appeared as amazing as here. Owen gives a brilliant, calculated, chilling performance. He is so cold and intelligent that you actually want him to pull off the "perfect" bank robbery. The film works because of the back-and-forth between Washington and Owen. These two terrific actors relish in their scenes with each other, and account for all the film's best scenes. Jodie Foster is a nice addition, but she has very little to do, and feels mostly wasted. Chietel Ejiofor is also a great actor, but he likewise feels wasted in a silly role. The same goes for Willem Dafoe. Christopher Plummer could similarly feel wasted, but he really puts in a solid effort and makes his character memorable.

Inside Man works because of the sheer brilliance of Clive Owen. It is one of the best "bad guy" performances this decade. Washington is too skilled not to be effective, even if this is a far, far cry from his best. Spike Lee's film is ultimately too flawed to be considered great, but it is certainly an exciting and fun ride.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Malcom X, 25th Hour, He Got Game