<u><b>Directed by:</u></b> Spike Lee.
<u><b>Starring:</u></b> Clive Owen, Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster.
<i><< "My name is Dalton Russell. Pay strict attention to what I say because I choose my words carefully and I… More
<u><b>Directed by:</u></b> Spike Lee.
<u><b>Starring:</u></b> Clive Owen, Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster.
<i><< "My name is Dalton Russell. Pay strict attention to what I say because I choose my words carefully and I never repeat myself. I've told you my name: that's the Who. The Where could most readily be described as a prison cell. But there's a vast difference between being stuck in a tiny cell and being in prison..." >></i>
<b>Review may contain spoilers.</b>
The story starts with a man in a cell, he tells us how he is planning the perfect bank robbery, and then enters a gang into a Manhattan bank, they hold people hostage, work fast and know what they are doing. From there, a smart, but unlikely detective with a history is put on the case as the negotiator. A man named Arthur Case is then called upon, the banks president, who is told that one of his banks is being robbed; he instantly becomes focused on only one thing, a safe deposit box at that bank...numbered, but not in record. He wants more than anything for this box to remain safe or disappear forever, so he hires a strong minded broker to help him. Confrontation of these characters occurs and we are slowly shown what exactly this robbery is all about.
Newcomer Russell Gewirtz turns in a script that appears conventional and mainstream at first glance, but it proves to be so much more than that. In a film based on a bank robbery, you would expect the film to focus on just that, this film doesn't. Now many will see this as a bad thing, which might explain why the mainstream audience didn't quite take this film well, but all I can do to them is point the finger. Russell's screenplay is so amazingly well written and crafty, he starts the film with an address from the main bank robber, he tells us to listen carefully, so we do, he tells us a little about when, where, how and why, but we are left in the dark on knowing exactly what he means, from there the plot twists and turns at every corner, proving to be smarter and stronger each time, until one of the shocking ends that explains it all...this is about the time where you slap yourself for not having guessed it earlier, this just shows us how clever he is and how he works the script around our minds, playing us right up until the final scene, a sign of a truly engaging thriller. Not only that, he provides a lot of character confrontation (which Spike Lee works wonders with), gives them strong dialogue and wit and the great thing is that these characters prove to be very smart, witty and interesting.
Spike Lee was the strange choice for such a film, I can't deny, he is a brilliant director, but I couldn't see what a man such as himself could bring to the plate. He shuts us up and shows us that he can create an amazingly well crafted film on any budget or genre, from his earlier independent classics to his more recent 25th Hour...and now Inside Man. He chooses some brilliant camera angles and shows such professionalism and directs with such energy...and he can't help but throw in some flair and references to Film-Noir, include some 'in-your-face' humor and some of his brilliant trademark shots.
The acting trio in this film is some of the best actors in Hollywood, Clive Owen is hidden for most of the film but his voice and deliverance of his dialogue prove to be strong and captivating, Denzel Washington is...well Denzel Washington, but that's a brilliant thing. He delivers spot on performances in everything he does, no matter how similar they may be, and aside from Training Day, this is one of his most fitting roles and he proves, as always, to be a powerful leading man. Jodie Foster is more of the 'sub-actor' here, seeing as she is in few scenes and on screen no more than about 15 minutes...but as we all know by now, she is anything but, a 'sub-actor'. She delivers one the most unlikable roles in the film, but does so with such skill, experience and control. There are also some confrontation scenes between Denzel and Jodie that are electrifying, you are watching two outstanding actors playing at each other with such strong dialogue and it can be quite intense.
Out of the many brilliant films made and released last year, some people may have forgotten this, but to be as honest as possible, this film proves to be one the best films of last year...and one of the most deserving. Many people fail to see what makes this film so brilliant, I guess that is what splits dumb from smart, wrong from right and mainstream from the rest of us.
<p><b>92/100</b>
<i><< "Well detective, there are matters at stake here that are a little bit above your pay grade. No offense"..."Well, why don't you just tell the mayor to raise my pay grade to the proper level, and problem solved." >></i>