Gritty return of Spike, excellent performances by Owen and Wasington

Rating: 9/10 (10 July 2006)

Spike Lee returns to the streets of New York for his most recent film, "Inside Man," which pits mastermind bank robber Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) against troubled but ruthless hostage negotiator Det. Frazier (Denzel Washington). Russell believes he has pulled off the perfect bank heist, while Frazier thinks he has Russell in the palm of his hand. Madeline White (Jodie Foster) intervenes to protect the interests of a powerful third party.
With so many twists and turns thrown at you, you'd think the plot would be harder to follow than a hyperactive 7 year old after a Fun-Dip bender. But rookie writer Russell Gewirtz, writes one of the more intense and mindful thrillers of late, and is a welcome throwback to some of Sidney Lumet's movies like "Serpico" and "Dog Day Afternoon." Owen slips comfortably into his role, continuing a streak of coolly calm yet stunningly brutal characters.. He brings his "A-game" to this film, and occasionally outshines veteran actor Washington.
Washington reunites with his "Malcolm X" director Lee for the fifth time in 16 years to deliver another effective and powerful performance. It's a darkly intense Washington that appears on screen, which we've seen a lot more of in his recent years with "Man on Fire" and "Training Day," and I for one hope this trend continues.
Foster anchors the supporting cast around her. She plays a conniving, manipulative politico, who in the end only acts in her best financial interests, saying anything to get what she wants. But the whole time she stays at the sidelines, like a designated hitter. Coming in when necessary, but making sure not to steal the theatric thunder from Washington and Owen.
The rest of the supporting cast, which includes Willem Dafoe as a stand-offish S.W.A.T. commander and Christopher Plummer as the rich business man with a terrible secret, do well to move the story along, but don't steal the focus of the spotlight from the matter at hand.
Like Foster, Lee also changes it up a little, breaking from his more politically charged and controversial "joints" to bring us a thriller that seems an odd fit for him. Thrillers of this sort could probably be directed by anyone, and if I were a producer, I would not have thought of Lee as a potential director. But Lee has a perspective of New York City that both Lumet and Martin Scorsese had in the 70's. That's a realistic gritty version. You don't get the romantic vision on one side of the New York spectrum or the hateful vision on the other side. He brings that solid, realistic New York style that made his "Do The Right Thing" an instant classic 17 years ago.