Inside Man
3/4
Starring: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Willem Dafoe, Christopher Plummer, Chiwetel Ejifor
Rated R for Language and Some Violent Images
Four people walk into a Manhattan Bank and tell everyone to lie down. They are ruthlessly efficient and intelligent. It's quite clear that these are no ordinary bank robbers.
Detective Keith Frazier (Washington) is on the scene. He's been in this kind of situation before (or at least knows what he's doing). The head thief, who tells us in the opening scene that his name is Dalton Russell (Owen) wants buses and a plane to escape with the hostages. Everything seems to be going according to plan until Frazier realizes that he's being played. Meanwhile, there is a mysterious woman named Madeline White (Foster), who has a special interest in something being stored at the bank.
The performances are top notch. Washington is terrific as Frazier. He's tough when he needs to be and affable at other times. He's an everyman who happens to be a cop. Clive Owen is at his dangerous best as the head thief. He's calm and collected, which raises Frazier's nape hairs. This is one tough bad guy. Jodie Foster is delicious as the cheerfully wicked Madeline. She's the kind of woman who can take care of dirty business...for a price. Willem Dafoe, Christopher Plummer and Chiwetel Ejifor provide solid support.
At first glance, Spike Lee may seem like an odd choice to direct a heist movie. Lee is known for his films on race relations, not thrillers. But the filmmaker pays careful attention to how discrimination is found in today's world. A Sikh has his turban taken accidentally but can't get it back until he cooperates. A few of the characters use slang terms when they shouldn't. It's very real and almost missable if you're not looking for it.
Lee has a solid grasp for suspense. "Inside Man" will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the film, and Lee is successful at camouflaging the twists. This is one movie where you won't see what's coming next. The heroes are smart, but so are the criminals. The stakes are high and everyone is trying to outplay the others. You don't get movies like this very often.
Starring: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Willem Dafoe, Christopher Plummer, Chiwetel Ejifor
Rated R for Language and Some Violent Images
This ain't no bank robbery!--Detective Keith FrazierIndeed, very little of what happens in this movie is what it seems. Everyone has an ulterior motive and no one plays by the rules. This keeps the film much more interesting in Spike Lee's imperfect but very compelling thriller.
Four people walk into a Manhattan Bank and tell everyone to lie down. They are ruthlessly efficient and intelligent. It's quite clear that these are no ordinary bank robbers.
Detective Keith Frazier (Washington) is on the scene. He's been in this kind of situation before (or at least knows what he's doing). The head thief, who tells us in the opening scene that his name is Dalton Russell (Owen) wants buses and a plane to escape with the hostages. Everything seems to be going according to plan until Frazier realizes that he's being played. Meanwhile, there is a mysterious woman named Madeline White (Foster), who has a special interest in something being stored at the bank.
The performances are top notch. Washington is terrific as Frazier. He's tough when he needs to be and affable at other times. He's an everyman who happens to be a cop. Clive Owen is at his dangerous best as the head thief. He's calm and collected, which raises Frazier's nape hairs. This is one tough bad guy. Jodie Foster is delicious as the cheerfully wicked Madeline. She's the kind of woman who can take care of dirty business...for a price. Willem Dafoe, Christopher Plummer and Chiwetel Ejifor provide solid support.
At first glance, Spike Lee may seem like an odd choice to direct a heist movie. Lee is known for his films on race relations, not thrillers. But the filmmaker pays careful attention to how discrimination is found in today's world. A Sikh has his turban taken accidentally but can't get it back until he cooperates. A few of the characters use slang terms when they shouldn't. It's very real and almost missable if you're not looking for it.
Lee has a solid grasp for suspense. "Inside Man" will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the film, and Lee is successful at camouflaging the twists. This is one movie where you won't see what's coming next. The heroes are smart, but so are the criminals. The stakes are high and everyone is trying to outplay the others. You don't get movies like this very often.
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