tour de force

Rating: 10/10 (31 October 2006)

Not one to shy away from controversy, director Spike Lee takes a shot at making a heist film, doing an exceptional job with INSIDE MAN. This is the fourth film that Denzel Washington and Spike Lee have made together, alongside 'He Got Game' (1998), 'Malcolm X' (1992), and 'Mo' Better Blues' (1990). Under Lee's direction, Washington embodied the controversial and influential Black Nationalist leader, Malcolm X, earning him an Oscar nomination that year for Best Actor. So after 8 years Lee and Washington rejoin to make a very irregular heist film, alongside Hollywood heavy hitters Jodie Foster, Clive Owen, Willem Dafoe, and veteran actor Christopher Plummer. The film revolves around the attempted heist of a branch of the Manhattan Trust Bank, and the ensuing hostage crisis that follows. Detective Keith Frazier (Washington) is put on the case, and wants to rectify his stained reputation after being accused of stealing $140,000 that mysteriously disappeared in a prior, unrelated case. The bank's CEO, Arthur Case (Plummer), sends a mysterious woman, Madeline White (Foster), to look after his "interests" that lie in a safety deposit box, deep inside the bank. Madeline's Ivy League condescension rubs Detective Frazier the wrong way, putting them at odds, as they each try to work their own agenda in resolving the bank situation. The masked leader of the group of robbers, Dalton Russell (Owen), is exceedingly calm in matching wits with Detective Frazier as they both try to stay one step ahead of each other. Leading right up to the climax, you are left wandering how this ambiguous thriller will end, and exactly where the twists and turns will lead you. In nearly three decades of directing, Spike Lee has made many memorable films, a fair amount of them controversial. But leave your prejudgments at the door when you go see this film, because it is a different type of "Spike Lee Joint." He had the clout of the studio backing him on this one, and it definitely shows in the scope of the film. I have anticipated watching this film ever since I was aware of it's existence some time ago, and so the question is, after seeing it, did it live up to it's promise? In one word  yes! I am thoroughly impressed with this tour de force from Spike Lee. In a genre filled with copycats and atypical holdup flicks, this one pays homage to some of the classic heist films, such as 'Dog Day Afternoon,' resulting in a cool, captivating, and engaging thrill ride. If you would like to catch some other great movies featuring the stars of 'Inside Man,' I recommend the following: Denzel Washington in 'The Manchurian Candidate' (2004), Clive Owen in 'I'll Sleep When I'm Dead' (2003), Jodie Foster (only speaking French!) in 'A Very Long Engagement' (2004), Christopher Plummer in 'The Insider' (1999), and Willem Dafoe in 'Auto Focus' (2002).