All too entertaining caper film...

Rating: 9/10 (22 July 2006)

I am a fan of heist films. They are always amongst the most entertaining and stylish type of film you will ever see. The slick music, script, and actors. I am endlessly entertained by such films, and happily they are produced each year. This is one of the better if not the best heist flick I have seen in recent years.
Acting: 8/10
This has an A-list cast containing Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Willem Dafoe, and the over-rated Jodie Foster. Denzel gives an entertaining performance as the alpha male of the police, serving as detective and negotiator for the violent group. Willem Dafoe gives a fine performance, though his character is not quite worthy of such an actor. Jodie Foster does OK, but I don't think she is worthy of million dollar paychecks and her Oscar. In comes Clive Owen as my favorite performer/performance in the film, giving a slick and too cool for school performance as Dalton Russell. Owen gives one of the better performances of the year so far.
Writing: 10/10
A plot with twists, a story with turns, cool dialog and often times frightening suspense keep you entertaining and wondering what will come out from around the corner. And usually it is a new twist that will excite any movie buff.
Directing: 10/10 Just as slick as the script, Lee pumps plenty of soul, cool tricks with camera and sound, making the images on screen entrancing.
Special effects: N/A
No CGI, no makeup. Simply a film made of suspense, not of eye candy.
Cinematography: 10/10
THE best camera work I have seen this year, mixing fun tricks with hand held movement, it keeps you hooked into the action as if there in the crowd. An Oscar nomination hopefully in the making.
Score: 7/10
I heard good things, but the score was a tad less than I had hoped for. It doesn't aid the slick and stylish film half as well as did, sat, The Italian Job of Ocean's Eleven.
Diagnosis: B+