Inside Man (DVD, 2006, Anamorphic Widescreen)

Maybe its me but I dont feel complete after watching an open-ending movie; especially those movies where the end is left open for a sequel. Inside Man is clearly could be one of these movies, but Denzel in a sequel? Has Denzel ever done a sequel? If so, let me know the title so I can review it. The Inside Man overall has its good and bad characteristics, but its still a definite add to the DVD collection.

Since I am a long-term Denzel fan, I felt compelled to purchase The Inside Man when it was released - but I was kind of skeptical in buying it because of mixed reviews that I have read, not from professional critiques but from the general public. (See Yahoo and Rotten Tomatoes) Most say that it was an excellent action suspense movie, others say the opposite. What do I say?

I say that Denzel is always at his best in films because he bathes himself in not only the script but the character. I suppose that being from the East Coast gives him the advantage at playing a Northeastern slick-talking detective. Proof of this is shown in his performance in damn near all his classics - He Got Game, Malcolm X and Mo' Better Blues and oddly enough Training Day. What more to say, Denzel is the man, he proves it consistently.

Clive Owen on the other hand seems to have the same boring persona in many of his recent flicks - very relaxed, slow when speaking, almost as if his mind is always on another planet. (See Derailed, Sin City, The Rich Man's Wife) In Inside Man, he is all of the previously listed but at the same time very witty. Honestly, to rob a bank, you have to be, right? Somewhat, watch the movie for more details. To a degree I enjoyed his character.

Why exactly did they include Jodie Foster into the equation I am clueless on - maybe to balance the testosterone within the script is my guess. Her character really didnt provide much spice to the script, nor did it take anything away. Maybe she was added to the list of high paid actors to boost the "I want to see that" ratings among movie goers. The DVD cover states that she is a "...broker with an agenda" but when you watch the movie, the agenda doesnt do much to liven the film up. They could have done with out her character or boosted her agenda a few more notches.

From a director stand point - this wasnt a typical Spike Lee film. The only thing typical that can be singled out is the infamous "floating" scene that Spike incorporates in all his films. But outside of that this was a typical cop movie that had little action to keep you awake, and more events that force you to think (or possibly fall asleep). Dont get me wrong, I love a movie that causes one to think, but only to a certain degree in cop movies. I mean c'mon, even CSI balances out the science from the blood spilled - so I would think a multi-million dollar film would do the same. All things considered, Lee did a good job at stepping out of the box in this film and should be respected regardless.

In the end - there really is no closure, Denzel's character realizes that he has something in his possession that keeps him linked to the man he was chasing (Clive Owen), thus the open ending comment from earlier. Sequel? Very much a possibility, but I will more than likely not watch this one on opening night either. For Denzel fan's, despite mixed reviews, add this one to your collection as he is always great, but if you are looking for a lot of gun fire and action - dont look for The Inside Man to satisfy your adventure needs.

I haven't felt this enthusiastic about a film in many, many months. I was gripped from the entrancing opening shots of the city, to the intriguing and satisfying conclusion. This movie has an interesting plot, very good acting and a fine script. Such standards should of course be common, but they're not. This is quite a rarity unfortunately. It's intelligent and very entertaining.

The story is a variation on the well worn theme of the bank heist, but it becomes evident very quickly that this is not any ordinary bank heist, and we are not in for two hours of yawn-inducing cliché and special effects. A gang takes over a bank, holding staff and customers hostage, then demands a plane to escape. But what are they really after? Are they simply stalling for time, does the bank founder have a nasty secret hidden in the vaults and between the police and the robbers, who is outwitting whom? It's more of a whydunnit than a whodunnit and it's closely plotted. The dialogue is crisp and real, managing to infuse occasional asides of humor into the characters' interactions, especially amongst the police. The movie is, of course, set in New York and Lee throws in many passing references to the city's varied ethnicities, who live uneasily cheek by jowl.

The performances are outstanding; Denzel Washington, as the police negotiator, has never been better, and with this role Clive Owen, as the gang leader, has more than made up for the irritating prat he played in Closer. I have always loved Jodie Foster and she gives a perfect performance in a small but important role as a wealthy power broker. I can think of few other actresses who could pull off the subtle mix of elegance, sexuality and authority that she exudes here on screen. All the supporting performers are equally good too. Good stuff! Go see.

As Gewirtz gradually confounds viewers' expectations by threading neat twists and turns into the plot, Lee briefly--perhaps too briefly for hardened Spike fans--returns to the racial themes he overtly tackled in his earlier work.
I was told this was a good movie. so -- I got it to see what all the fuss was a bout !! YEP!! Great movie and keeps you thinking all through it!!

I decided to buy this movie for my boyfriend who is a huge fan of Denzel Washington. Its a Spike Lee movie who in the past directed Denzel in Malcolm X - and this movie did not disappoint.

Denzel is again simply outstanding in his delivery of a detective assigned a bank robbery as a negotiator. He and fellow cops are brought down the road of a very unusal robbery. It was very nice and unexpected to see Willem Dafoe - who usualy is casted as a bad guy - to play a cop!

Jodie Foster is just a minor character, who is VERY good in just the short parts she is in the film. Her character is hired to help the bank owner - played by Christopher Plummer - retrieve something in the bank vaults.

The STAND out actor for me in this movie is DEFIANTLY Clive Owen who I was blown away by in his previous movie Derailed with Jennifer Aniston. He plays the head bank robber, and again just is so good in his roll. These are NOT your average bank robbers looking just to nab a few bucks and take off - the brains and actions behind this robbery absolutly keep you glued to the screen.

If you want to see a movie which is WAY beyond just another cops - bad guys - robbery movie, with such a STELLAR cast - definatly grab The Inside Man

After watching Inside Man in the theatres this year, what stuck with me are the incredible performances from an all-star cast. As expected, Denzel, Clive Owen, and (in a small part) Christopher Plummer deliver. The highlight of the film is to see Jodie Foster go against type and play a charismatic, but despicable, antagonist.

What keeps this movie from "excellent" territory is the bit of a letdown after it's said and done. Contrary to most of the reviews, I didn't the heist scheme all that clever or compelling.

I don't own the DVD, but there's one extra in particular that sounds amazing. "Number 4" is an informal conversation between Spike Lee and Denzel Washington discussing their previous collaborations including Mo' Better Blues, Malcolm X, He Got Game, and finally Inside Man.