Washington makes it watchable.

Rating: 7/10 (10 February 2007)

It is to the credit of both director Spike Lee and star Denzil Washington that Inside Man, a rather routine heist story with some glaring plot holes, becomes eminently watchable thanks to their involvement. Washington turns in yet another credible and likable performance whilst Lee displays great control of the whole convoluted affair, with some impressive cinematography and nice use of non-linear storytelling.
Denzil plays Keith Frazier, a detective called in to act as negotiator when a bank robbery turns into a hostage situation. However, when the gang of thieves make some peculiar decisions, and a mysterious woman (ably played by Jodie Foster) is given power by the mayor to intervene in negotiations, it soon becomes apparent to Frazier that this is not a typical heist gone wrong.
As the story unfolds, we discover that the crooks are after a cache of diamonds, hidden in the vault by the bank's unscrupulous elderly owner (who co-operated with the Nazis during WW2 and received the jewels in return). It is Foster's job to ensure that the proof of the man's secret past, a Nazi document also kept in the vault, doesn't fall into the wrong hands.
With Lee's confident direction and solid performances from all involved, I found it fairly easy to ignore the questionable elements of the script (such as why the owner of the bank didn't just destroy the damning evidence of his collaboration with the Nazi's, and exactly how the thieves managed to devise such a foolproof plan).
Throw in some particularly funny lines (Denzil's quip about 'Jamal and Jesus' is priceless!), and what you have is an enjoyable, if somewhat flawed, crime drama that packs enough star power and delivers enough action to make it worth seeing.