"Inside Man" is the best Spike Lee film in years

Rating: 7/10 (28 March 2006)

Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) is planning the perfect bank robbery. Dalton plans on robbing the Manhattan bank in New York City. When he goes to rob the bank, he has a building filled of hostages and his plan is set in action. Detective Keith Frazier is the cop in charge of this hostage situation and will stop at nothing to solve this case. As time goes on, Frazier knows that Dalton is not the typical bank robber but a man with a much larger plan.
"Inside Man" basically brings back Spike Lee to the directing circle. This film has gained the attention of critics and audiences alike and for once in many years I can honestly admit I like Spike Lee again. I guess this is the new thing in Hollywood; older directors who seemed to lose their touch come back with a big hit. Woody Allen did it with "Match Point", Ang Lee did it with "Brokeback Mountain", and now Spike Lee did it with "Inside Man." The great thing about "Inside Man" is the suspense that the film builds. As the film continues on you wonder how it's going to end. You have a feeling early on that it's not going to be a typical ending but a surprise ending. So as you sit there watching the film you begin trying to piece together the pieces of the puzzle and try to figure out what's going to happen in the end of the film.
Another thing I liked about the film was that it wanted be a good bank robbery film like "Dog Day Afternoon". It wasn't as typical as most bank robbery or cop films are today. It played homage to the 70s and 80s when it came to bank robbery movies. The good thing about this film was that it wasn't overly predictable. It had some nice twists and had you guessing up until the end.
Be warned that this movie does throw a lot at you. There are many characters that are very significant to the story but as time goes on you can have a hard time connecting them all together. At first after watching this film I was wondering what the hell happened but then on my drive home I was thinking about it and everything clicked. This is a movie that you have to pay attention for. It's not a brainless action film like Die Hard where you can shut your brain off and enjoy mindless entertainment. This movie actually has some substance to it.
The acting all around is superb as you probably already guessed. Denzel Washington gives yet another fine performance that has a nice hint of humor to it. Clive Owen is great as the brilliant and cocky bank robbery. Jodie Foster plays a very good character here which is different than many roles I have seen her in. And finally Willem Dafoe is great as well. "Inside Man" has a great cast and each person involved does a great job playing their role.
In Conclusion, "Inside Man" is finally a bank robber film for people who actually like to think when they go to the movies. The film provides excellent performances and a very interesting and creative script. As I watched the film I found myself wondering where the film was going. I also wondered what Dalton's alternative motive was. It's a good film that really shows off Spike Lee ability to direct good movies. I think this film is a reminder to Hollywood that every cop movie doesn't have to be so predictable and action packed. It's a good cop movie that is actually pretty original.
MovieManMenzel's final rating for "Inside Man" is a 7/10.