rawked

Rating: 9/10 (13 September 2006)

Second only to Tarantino, this is one of the best "heist" movies I've ever seen. Forget Clooney's Oceans crew, who are all about "nudge nudge wink wink we're celebrities," and tune in to a movie where you don't know who's who or what's what until the end.
Granted, I'm a big fan of Denzel Washington, and it's rare that he makes a misstep, but I'm always torn about Spike Lee. While Lee is inarguably a good filmmaker, his characters are often deliberately unlikeable, which makes an otherwise good movie uncomfortable to watch. While this movie's characters are generally unlikeable, the plot twists and turns more than make up for it. Clive Owen is slick and slimy as the main thief, and Jody Foster in an unusually glam role somehow manages to channel Helen Hunt. Foster is one of the best actresses working today, and has never been a glamourpuss, so to see her flip her ponytail and stalk around on four-inch pumps is surreal. The funniest moment was Clive Owen's interaction with the lone child, who shows him a violent video game, then tells Owen he'd get mad points for robbing the bank. Owen's response "Eat your lunch, then I'm going to have a talk with your father about this game." A movie buff's dream, Inside Man is slick, action-packed, and keeps you guessing. Sit back and enjoy the ride.