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Amazon.co.uk Review
An intelligent thriller with a healthy few twists up its sleeve, The Inside Man marks strong, although hardly career-best, work from all concerned.
The plot is simple, and hardly fresh. On one side, you have a sophisticated team who walk into a bank, take everyone hostage and issue demands. On the other, you have a team of cops trying to apprehend those responsible and get the hostages out safely. In the middle, you have the owner of the bank, who's willing to bring in a bit of extra help to get the situation resolved. And yet what could have been a standard two-dimensional Hollywood blockbuster gets brains and substance thanks to those in front of and behind the camera.
The talent in front is led by a consummate Denzel Washington, as the cop leading the situation. Then there's the increasingly impressive Clive Owen and the always-excellent Jodie Foster, with sterling support from the likes of Christopher Plummer and Willem Dafoe.
Behind the camera, much has been made of the fact that this is the least Spike Lee-like film that Spike Lee has directed, yet that misses the point. The Inside Man sees a skilful, diligent and clever director utterly comfortable with what's going on, and wringing out plenty from the simple premise.
It's not a flawless film by any means: the last reel doesn't quite match up to what preceded it, and the script doesn't really get you near the skin of the characters (even if it does serve up some delicious, not entirely expected moments). Yet as heist movies go, this is one of the better examples of recent times, with plenty of reasons to recommend it. --Simon Brew
Synopsis
In the tense thriller Inside Man, a bank robbery leads to a number of people being taken hostage and it’s up to NYPD hostage negotiators Detectives Keith Frazier and Bill Mitchell to secure their release. The detectives are sent to the scene with orders to contact the ringleader of the gang, Dalton Russell (Clive Owen, Sin City), and ensure the release of the 50 bank staff and patrons taken hostage. However, things fail to progress as smoothly as the duo had hoped, with Russell proving to be an intelligent and calm operator that is able to stay one step ahead of the police. The situation is further complicated when power player Madeline White (Jodie Foster, Panic Room) requests a meeting with Russell. Acclaimed director Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X) stamps his own individual mark on the action thriller genre--a genre that he doesn’t normally work in--with Inside Man, a film full of smart twists, snappy dialogue, and interesting character developments. However, the reoccurring theme of ethnic politics displayed in Lee’s previous work is once again prevalent and he once again decides to use New York as the backdrop for the action. Lee manages to turn what could have been a standard thriller into a stylish, kinetic and ultra-sharp film. Denzel Washington (Training Day) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Kinky Boots) produce sterling performances as the two detectives attempting to control the volatile situation, while the film also greatly benefits from the skills of Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, and Willem Defoe (Spider-Man). The dense, multi-layered, yet always entertaining plot combined with Lee’s adrenaline-fuelled style makes for a superb and breath-taking film.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great heist movie,
By
This review is from: Inside Man [DVD] (DVD)
I do not want to ruin the surprises of the film so I will not give any of the elements of it away.
Denzel Washington plays detective Keith Frazier and has to work out what exactly this bank robbery is all about, the robber played by Clive Owen doesn't give anything away and shows he knows what he is doing leaving false leads and clues that you will find out about later on in the story. The film very well done by using flash aheads of the questioning of some of the hostages and when the film comes to the climax you still need to be thinking and adding up what you have learnt throughout. This is the sort of film you need to see atleast twice because of the trickery in the plot and the fact that the robbers don't give anything away. Denzel Washington is great as always playing the good cop, Clive Owen is good aswell although you see him in his mask alot of the time and he doesn't talk much. When the film does climax I find myself hoping that the 123 mins approx is wrong because I really wanted it to go on. So this might not be the best film i've ever seen but it comes damn close. And lets just say its an ending you won't expect.
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superlative heist movie,
By G Finn "twisted_fiend" (Preston, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Inside Man [DVD] (DVD)
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.
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent,
By
This review is from: Inside Man [DVD] (DVD)
Any film with Denzel is going to be a winner but when the cast expands to include such names as Clive Owen, Jodie Foster and Willem Defoe you know this won't be any old bank-heist movie. And `The Inside Man' is anything but predictable. You think you're so sure going into this movie that you know how it'll pan out but don't fool yourself! The twists and turns in the plot are well thought out and every time you think `this is where it goes predictable' something else is thrown into the mix. I can't explain the plot without giving away spoilers so I won't go there.
What I can say is that there are some fantastic performances here. Clive Owen for me was the ultimate star. I've seen him in a few movies and he can do so many different characters brilliantly that you wonder where this guys talents stop. Denzel would have been given top points for his performance but his Miami-Vice 1980's wardrobe just killed it for me! Jodie Foster was the negotiator I guess you could call her. Her interest in the heist extends to the contents of one safety deposit box inside the bank and her job is to secure it one way or the other. She gave a brilliant performance as a no-nonsense, know-it-all and it's great to see her back on our screens again. I think what I loved most about this film is that it was absent the usual predictable plot and you find yourself thinking `mmm.....I'd never have thought of that'. It sucks you in because you really don't know what will happen next. I loved it and thoroughly recommend it.
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