New Twists On Old Ideas

Rating: 7/10 (31 March 2006)

'Inside Man', the new Spike Lee film starring Denzel Washington, Jody Foster, Clive Owen and Willem Dafoe, adds new twists on old ideas. Overall, it is an entertaining bank heist film.
The actors played their roles by the book. The real credit here goes to Spike Lee. He adds mystique to the story by incorporating post heist hostage interrogations throughout the film. In doing so, he reveals a plot point that ordinarily would act as a spoiler but instead plays well into the drama.
Aside from the bank robbers, there is an additional character with a nefarious past that has an interest in the goings on. This was the only real disappointment for me. The nature of his past initially seems as though it will be the emphasis for more conflict but it never comes to pass. Even though there is an implied resolution, that particular storyline falls flat. It would, however, be fodder for a sequel.
The most intriguing component here is Jody Foster's character. She plays a sort of back-channel power broker. I couldn't help wondering if there is really a broad enough market out there for the type of service this character offers. Ms. Foster did well enough in the role, wearing a Bruce Willis type smirk through many of her lines. But the character is interesting enough to carry an entire film.
If you like the bank robber genre, this film is worth seeing.
Grade: B