Smart heist thriller puts Spike Lee in the spotlight

Rating: 8/10 (17 April 2016)

Director Spike Lee gears up sheer suspense, a powerful plot, and a compelling, though slightly flawed screenplay by Russell Gewirtz of a bank robbery gone wrong in this heist thriller starring the stellar cast of frequent Spike Lee collaborator Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Chiwetel Eijiofor, and Jodie Foster. Owen plays Dalton Russell, a violent but intelligent criminal who orchestrates a bank heist at a local Manhattan bank that quickly turns into a high-stakes negotiation situation between detective Frazier (played by Denzel Washington), his partner Bill Mitchell (played by Chiwetel Eijiofor), Captain John Darius (played by William Dafoe) and high-powers broker Madeleine White (played by Jodie Foster) when Russell's comrades take the occupants hostage. With bank president Arthur Case (played by Christopher Plummer) vowing to protect a case containing secret war items and hostage pitted as suspects by the vicious bank robbers, the rookie detectives and the SWAT team are the only chances of bringing Russell and his comrades to justice and saving the hostages. However, as tensions heat up, the law enforcement learn that the criminals are not just after money, but an airplane. And the mystery is: what do they want it for?
This heist film has plenty of smarts and elements that make up for a tense, compelling thriller with brooding suspense. Rather than focusing on violent shootouts and confrontations, this thriller leaves fair room for tense interrogations and political themes including war connections to war, while blending cohesive thrills and violence. One major subplot consists of bank president played by Christopher Plummer desperate to protect a briefcase filled with Nazi documents from World War II. References to 9/11 scares also come into play, with one of the suspects being Muslim leading to suspicion with the law enforcement. The biggest light however, comes from the tense atmosphere of the bank robbery. From the opening minutes of the fledging criminals' arrival, the film pits viewers with a strong plethora of thrills and suspense, with intersecting cuts to scenes of Denzel Washington and Chiwetel Eijiofor interrogating various hostages and suspects. Though the robbery scenes often consists of elements that strongly resemble those of the terrorist attack in 'Die Hard', there is plenty of edge-of-your-seat thrills to captivate viewers, while leaving others uncomfortable and disturbed by the robbers' sadism; although the main antagonist is not portrayed exactly as a vicious savage with bloodlust, but a man with a heart and humanity. The plot doesn't always have its novelty however. The film works well for the most of the first half, but eventually sprawls through some tonal inconsistencies during the second half. Overall, Director Spike Lee steers the film in the solid direction, even the plot slips off track towards its climax. After all, how hard is it to enjoy the genuine performances by the cast, especially Clive Owen who brings solid conviction to the the main antagonist.
Inside Man is smart and compelling heist thriller, though it has a few flaws. It is a strong and compelling portrayal of the heist genre, and demonstrates the true vivids efforts by director Spike Lee. The film is certainly no classic nor does it try to be, but it is utterly intriguing.