Inside Man
When I saw the trailer for Inside Man I didn't think much. I had little interest in seeing the film.
But because the reviews were so positive I decided to give the film a chance and am I glad that I did.
Detective Keith Frazier works with the Hostage Negotiation section of the police department. Lately he has been a bit down on his luck. However, things pick up when another detective is on vacation and he gets a call to investigate a possible bank robbery/hostage situation.
We know that four armed robbers entered the bank and threatened everyone who was there. They make everyone take off their clothing and dress just like them. Someone places a phone call to Arthur Chase, the founder of the bank, to tell him what has happened. Mr. Chase becomes preoccupied with what happened at the bank but not for the obvious reason. Enter Madeline White, a New York power player who seems to have connections to those on the top of the heap. Chase wants her to help him with a problem connected with the robbery.
In the meantime, Frazier and his partner Bill Mitchell team up with Captain John Darius of the Emergency Services Unit and try to figure out how to get the hostages out of the bank safely. As time goes on Frazier begins to realize that this is no ordinary bank robbery. I do not want to say anymore about the plot because I would be giving away too much.
Spike Lee is back in form with his best film since 25th Hour. He really knows how to capture New York City and its people with their varying shades and stripes. It helps that he has a good script to work with. This is the first screenplay by Russell Gewirtz and it is a crackling one. I read that Terry George (Hotel Rwanda) helped fine tune the script but this is something that is done all of the time. The film is suspenseful, keeps you guessing right up until the end and has a lot of humor in it. There is also a moral lesson here which comes across very clearly without hitting you on the head. What more could you ask for from a studio film?
The cast is all in fine form. Denzel Washington as Frazier is his reliably good self. Clive Owen as Dalton Russell also good and is mesmerizing when we see his face. Jodie Foster as Ms. White is nicely tart and bitchy. The great Christopher Plummer is deliciously devious as Chase. Willem Dafoe as Darius and Chiwetel Ejiofer as Mitchell nicely round out the cast. Ejiofer is British but his American accent is right on target.
While this film is not a cinematic masterpiece it is very well done and highly entertaining. It is nice to see that the studios can still make a film that is commercial and intelligent at the same time.
But because the reviews were so positive I decided to give the film a chance and am I glad that I did.
Detective Keith Frazier works with the Hostage Negotiation section of the police department. Lately he has been a bit down on his luck. However, things pick up when another detective is on vacation and he gets a call to investigate a possible bank robbery/hostage situation.
We know that four armed robbers entered the bank and threatened everyone who was there. They make everyone take off their clothing and dress just like them. Someone places a phone call to Arthur Chase, the founder of the bank, to tell him what has happened. Mr. Chase becomes preoccupied with what happened at the bank but not for the obvious reason. Enter Madeline White, a New York power player who seems to have connections to those on the top of the heap. Chase wants her to help him with a problem connected with the robbery.
In the meantime, Frazier and his partner Bill Mitchell team up with Captain John Darius of the Emergency Services Unit and try to figure out how to get the hostages out of the bank safely. As time goes on Frazier begins to realize that this is no ordinary bank robbery. I do not want to say anymore about the plot because I would be giving away too much.
Spike Lee is back in form with his best film since 25th Hour. He really knows how to capture New York City and its people with their varying shades and stripes. It helps that he has a good script to work with. This is the first screenplay by Russell Gewirtz and it is a crackling one. I read that Terry George (Hotel Rwanda) helped fine tune the script but this is something that is done all of the time. The film is suspenseful, keeps you guessing right up until the end and has a lot of humor in it. There is also a moral lesson here which comes across very clearly without hitting you on the head. What more could you ask for from a studio film?
The cast is all in fine form. Denzel Washington as Frazier is his reliably good self. Clive Owen as Dalton Russell also good and is mesmerizing when we see his face. Jodie Foster as Ms. White is nicely tart and bitchy. The great Christopher Plummer is deliciously devious as Chase. Willem Dafoe as Darius and Chiwetel Ejiofer as Mitchell nicely round out the cast. Ejiofer is British but his American accent is right on target.
While this film is not a cinematic masterpiece it is very well done and highly entertaining. It is nice to see that the studios can still make a film that is commercial and intelligent at the same time.
posted by Film Fanatic | 2:53 PM
3 Comments:
Thanks so much for the review.
It made me go and see the movie and I'm glad I did.
I saw this movie without knowing much about it and I was pleasantly surprised. It held my attention throughout, every actor was excellent. The depiction of New York (scenes and dialogue) captured its toughness, power and beauty. Reading your excellent review makes me want to see it again.
I enjoyd this piece, it´s the kind plot you guess from the beginning but you watch till the end.
The effect to dress everybody the same is being over-used in movies nowadays... you can see that in V for Vendetta, The Thomas Crown Affais, etc...
Good movie anyway... and nice review.
Sharon, congratulations for the Blog.
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