An intelligent and charismatic "heist" movie

Rating: 7/10 (19 September 2010)

Spike Lee directs this film superbly. The pace, cinematography and acting are all of a very high standard. I particularly enjoyed how the film unfolded and that we're never really sure whose side to be on.
Denzel Washington's cop under a cloud is the obvious choice at first but its hard to resist the compelling anti-hero in Clive Owen, who at last has a role he can sink his teeth into (he sucked in "King Arthur" but then so did the film).
Once underway, we're introduced to Jodie Foster's well-connected "bitch-manipulator" and Christopher Plummer's "fat-cat" characters who add extra spice into the mix. The script is generally excellent and the story resolves well, treating our heroes and anti-heroes appropriately.
Overall, a thoroughly engaging and enjoyable film!