Inside Man [HD DVD]

This film proven to be a hit at the box office for filmmaker Spike Lee. I usually avoid his films like the plague since I've grown tired of his preaching on race and the ills of this country but for once, he has delivered a solid, entertaining movie. The cast, for starters, is excellent. Denzil Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Willem Dafoe, Christopher Plummer & Chiwetel Ejiotor really deliver the goods in this slick heist movie. Seemingly a heist film, this film is more than that and thank god, Lee steers away from his political preaching. If you've avoided his films in the past, do check this one out--you'll probably like it.

The latest Spike Lee Joint, Inside Man, is the best bank heist movie since Pacino's Dog Day Afternoon... but it's much better. For those who may have thought that Spike has gone mainstream, you need to see the way he spins this plot. It's not even over when it's over, and the characters are built as multi-layered, free forms. This film is what you go to the theater to experience.

It's a crime drama. It's a mystery; it's a thriller. We're given a stellar cast: Denzel Washington, Willem Defoe, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer. It's about a bank robbery, but Denzel steals the film. Whenever he gets together with Spike, you tend to just let them work their magic. Inside Man is no different. There are perhaps three film makers who know New York City like the back of their hands - Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese and, yes, Spike Lee. Lee really captures the raw grit and emotion of the streets of New York and its people, post 9/11.

Spike Lee's modern take on the bank heist movie is a more effective social commentary than action movie. As entertaining and as suspenseful as the movie is, because the market is so full of shocking endings and neat plot twists that you already know that the ending will be something clever, which in itself has become formulaic, at least with movies in recent years. What makes this movie fun and socially relevant is the way Lee, in both subtle and not so subtle ways, includes matters of race, redemption, and guilt amidst a story pitting a highly intelligent criminal (Clive Owen) and a detective who has an insatiable desire to uncover the truth (Denzel Washington). This really is the kind of movie to watch on a late evening when you want to sit back and be entertained.

I've come to expect exciting movies from this guy. It is delivered here, but is some distance from his best.

The 3-star reviews have it right for me. Short summary: fascinating bank heist with some unusual and very clever twists, Denzel is terrific, Jodie Foster's role is unnecessary, Christopher Plummer is oddly one-dimensional, Willem Dafoe is strong but in a small role, a couple of the bonus deleted scenes shouldn't have been deleted, and the plot holes are indeed several and large. Suggest renting rather than purchase; it is good to watch once if you're a Denzel fan as I am, but know that you will most likely not repeat the experience.