A brilliant heist!

Rating: 8/10 (17 August 2016)

The intricate finesse in the enfolding of the events and the portrayal of characters has compelled me to give my comments on this movie. A perfectly planned bank heist is undertaken , right upto the treatment, segregation and attire of the hostages, which a good 45 minutes into the movie draws inexplicable motives and mode of execution.
We identify Clive Owen behind his painter's suit and mask as the chief perpetrator of the heist, based on his keen gazes and imposing voice. Denzel Washington fits into his role with a tee (as always) as a resourceful detective seeking to clear his name from a possible wreck to his career. All the techniques he employ as a hostage negotiator, though clichÃ©d and redundant leading to shameless failure, serve to unmask the true agenda of the bank robbers. But the confidence with which he gets back after he fails each attempt, reflected in his self-assured gait makes him worthy of the deserving glory in Hollywood he has.
When Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer) approaches Madeleine White( Jodie Foster ) to involve herself in the case, we smell a really big rat and can sense things are really not what they seem to be. When the true reason behind the heist is revealed, we digest it without disappointment as we were aware that something big was coming. The interrogation with the hostages after their release interspersed throughout the movie are quite engaging as we wait expectantly for someone to give a clue to the identity of the robbers. The final touch is when the mastermind of the operation, Clive Owen, escapes with his 'real' booty.
Settle down in your couch and prepare yourself for an engaging thriller....