"Dog Day Afternoon" meets "Heat" by way of "The Negotiator", intriguing plot twist that never fail to amuse in a cat and mouse game, Washington and Lee do it yet again

Rating: 7/10 (26 March 2006)

*** Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Willem Dafoe, Christopher Plummer,Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kim Director, James Ransone. Directed by Spike Lee.
Always controversial Spike Lee with his typical racial remarks, again pulls it off. With a comedic edge to it of course. And sure the movie starts out as typical, men breaking into the bank and threatening everyone to get to the floor, there is no way passed that. Despite a few cliché' actions and threats between Detectives "Man" pulls off the ultimate heist, convincing the audience this is real.
Slick Dalton Russell (Owen, in a real bad ass role) has the perfect plan to rob a bank and make away with a hefty score. But Detective Keith Frazier (Washington) who plays along with Dalton's deviated game of cat and mouse soon realizes it is more than what it seems. With Madeline White (Foster; pitch perfect as always) trying to project a few assets of her own and her employer (Plummer).
"Inside Man" may be a total cliché off of "Dog Day Afternoon" and hundreds of other heist movies but it works. Despite a few untied edges and some things that just don't play out as well, it formulates into a good movie. With one of my favorite actresses in it, Foster who nearly every time I see her is cunning and portrays her character with a wholesome edge to it.