Inside Man is something of a departure for Spike Lee, a director usually more at home with biting social commentary, particularly on the lot of African Americans. By comparison, this movie is mainstream, throwing a host of top names into a soup of tension, intrigue and genuine thrills. From beginning to end, Inside Man plays with our preconceptions of the genre; characters are turned in on themselves, twists and thrills come thick and fast. Lee's direction is clinical, sharp. The script is quick and filled with intelligent, sometimes provocative, lines. The acting is superb throughout, Denzel Washington deserving of particular praise, though Clive Owen does a magnificent job considering you don't see much of his face throughout the movie. Thoroughly entertaining and wonderfully put together, Inside Man deserves its place in any DVD collection. Just brilliant.