Far too clever for its own good

Rating: 5/10 (5 August 2016)

INSIDE MAN is one of those clever-clever thrillers in which things aren't as they seem, people aren't who they make out to be and everything's layered in cloying, murky conspiracy that leaves you unsure of just what, exactly, is going on. At its heart it's a simple tale of a bank robbery but, as in DOG DAY AFTERNOON, things are far from simple. The villains' motives are never revealed and it leaves you wondering who the real villains are after all.
Now, I'm all for a head-scratching thriller – I've seen and enjoyed enough of them – and while I liked this film on the strength of the actors alone, I can't help but acknowledge that it's deeply flawed. One of the main negatives about it is Spike Lee, whose 'urban' style of direction is at odds with the film's premise and plot. He can't help but throw in many flashy scenes and moments of over-direction that scream "look at me" and subtract from the realism, as they keep taking you out of the movie. Lee should have stayed in the background, choreographing his actors and scenes and not getting in the way like he does here.
It's also weird that he has this whole '70s throwback going on, a kind of nudge-nudge type aspect wherein Denzil Washington's detective feels like KOJAK. The unusual Bollywood-style opening music is point in itself. It's like Lee is trying so hard to be 'edgy' and different and he ends up with just another thriller that thinks its cleverer than it really is. It's also half an hour longer than it ought to be, and with little action to recommend it it frequently veers towards boring. In fact, it's only the cast that keeps it entertaining: Washington excels as the laid back detective, a role he could play in his sleep by now. Thankfully he doesn't sleepwalk through it, instead creating a likable character. He's ably supported by newcomer Chiwetel Ejifor as his partner, absolutely great in an understated role. Long-time acting heavyweights Christopher Plummer and Willem Dafoe do well on the sidelines, but I absolutely couldn't stand Jodie Foster here; just one of those roles where you want to slap the character. As for Clive Owen, he's good, but hidden beneath a disguise for much of the movie so left out in the cold a bit.
It's not a bad film and it's one that kept me watching to see what happened, but in the end I was left feeling that nothing much happened after all. It's a long way from classics like THE NEGOTIATOR and the aforementioned DOG DAY AFTERNOON but it's worth a look for thriller fans.