First really worthy film of 2006

Rating: 10/10 (27 March 2006)

"Inside Man" is a terrific film and a reminder that Spike Lee is still one of the best filmmakers in town. The film starts off as homage to "Dog Day Afternoon" and ends up a clever and entertaining heist drama like "The Hot Rock". First time writer Russell Gewirtz daft script sets up what would be a predictable scenario and turns into an intelligent caper with colorful characters and feasible situations. It has a nice 70's feeling to it and relays on the plot and characters to move the story instead of the overblown "Bad Boys" action mentality. Some people may find it anti-climatic but I think it works perfectly keeping situations at a low-key pace and the outcome is satisfying. Many may wonder why Spike Lee would direct a film he did not have a hand in writing; but after seeing the film you can understand because the script is that good. Another thing in Spike Lee's favor is him being a New Yorker; other than Sidney Lumet (in his prime) there are not too many directors who could capture that city and flesh out its character(s). The cast is perfect with Denzel Washington in fine form as usual, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Willem Dafoe, and the wonderful Chiwetel Ejiofor who has a great interplay with Washington. The integration scenes with them are priceless. The film is the first highlight of 2006.