IMDb user comments for
Inside Man (2006)

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110 out of 134 people found the following comment useful :-
an entertaining heist flick, 3 March 2006

Author: krigler from Budapest, Hungary

Note: I stay away from describing the plot in any detail because it would be very hard to do so without spoiling elements of it. "Inside Man" starts out as a no holds barred, high octane action-thriller, and by its midpoint fully transforms into a breezy, tongue-in-cheek heist movie, reminiscent of The Sting. I felt it to be a little over-plotted, but that comes with the genre - the expected twists and turns are all here, thankfully mostly in non-expected ways. Contrivances abound, and we don't really learn the background of the heist (ie. how the robbers learned about their target) but the story and the overall atmosphere more than make up for this. The meticulously designed plot also compensates for the lack of real 3D characterization - save for Denzel Washington's ambitious policeman hero, who at least achieves a level of humanity throughout the story. The character interaction between him and his sidekick (Chiwetel Ejiofor of "Serenity" fame) and the frustrated captain played by Willem Defoe is great with some sparkling dialog. Clive Owen is okay, most of the time convincing as the criminal mastermind, although he spends most of the film wearing a mask. I'd say this film is harmless fun, not your usual Spike Lee fare, which goes to prove his versatility. There is a hint in the back-story at some heavy issues of the past, but it's nothing more than a macguffin that only achieves some slight significance in the resolution of the movie. There is a neat structural trickery in the use of flash-forward scenes, hinting toward the aftermath of the heist without giving away the real ending. It's used sparingly and cleverly. I can highly recommend this movie, it is never boring for a moment, what's more, I was enjoying it so much that as events were progressing toward the climax, I was wishing it would go on. And that's very rare for me in the movies nowadays.

73 out of 91 people found the following comment useful :-
unexpectedly unpredictable, 20 March 2006

Author: Marc van Heerebeek ([email protected]) from Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Unlike most movies I have seen in the bank robbery genre, this one stands out as a bit more creative and unpredictable. While you may think you know exactly what's going on, don't be fooled--you don't. It keeps you interested with unique twists and interesting character development. For one who does not prefer the typical or average movie, I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised. Even my girlfriend--not a fan of the action flicks--thought this one was interesting. It's just nice to get involved in the story and not know every twist and turn before it happens. Of course, there were certain loose ends left undone, but how in-depth can one get in less than two hours. All in all, it wasn't perfect, but it was one of the better movies I've seen lately and arguably one of the better in its category.

66 out of 82 people found the following comment useful :-
With Inside Man, Spike Lee has crafted a very original and exciting thriller., 14 March 2006

Author: PatrickRijnders from Purmerend, The Netherlands

Spike Lee is one of the most consistent directors out there. Save for some more uneven pictures like She Hate Me and Girl 6, Lee's body of work is just plain impressive. And while Inside Man is not up there with Do The Right Thing, Clockers and 25th Hour, it is definitely an entertaining and intelligent thriller that does things a little differently than most cookie cutter thrillers you see in theaters nowadays.

A bank robbery in New York has gotten out of control, and it's up to police detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) to act as hostage negotiator and get the bank personal and customers out safely before things turn even worse than they already are. This turns out to be a tough case, since the leader of the bank robbers, Dalton Russell (Clive Owen), turns out to be a very smart individual, who has everything planned to perfection, and who throws up surprise after surprise for Frazier and his men. But while the people around Frazier are slowly getting more and more nervous, he himself does not lose his mind, and begins a high stakes battle of wits with Russell. Things are further complicated, however, when the mayor of New York introduces a mysterious woman to Frazier. This woman (Jodie Foster) wants to protect something that is hidden in one of the safety deposit boxes inside the bank, and she will stop at nothing to force Frazier to let her inside the bank and make sure nothing happens to the contents.

This all sounds like an intriguing premise for a thriller, but the movie goes a few steps further than just having an interesting plot. Because while Inside Man does hit all the right notes when it comes to keeping you guessing about what is really going on, it is also very successful in mixing the grittier moments with comedy elements. At times, Inside Man is very funny, but in a way that does not deflate the tension. The dialogue is sharp, with the conversations between Frazier and Russell being especially fascinating, and both actors are at the top of their game in this new movie. Washington's Frazier is an intense but laconic individual, who has a permanent smirk on his face but who reads the bank robbers intentions better than anybody else, while Owen is charismatic and fascinating as the mastermind behind the bank robbery. I was a little disappointed however with Jodie Foster's role. While her part is potentially fascinating, she does not really get the chance to do anything with it other than look cool and act tough. Yes, we all know that she is very good at that, but with a bit more background story, and a bit more screen time, her part could have been even more interesting.

With Inside Man, Lee showcases an interesting way of directing thrillers. He ignores the usual build up that you see in thrillers, which consists of an introduction, a chronological development of the main intrigue, followed by a final act in which everything is wrapped up neatly (even flashing forward several times, thus revealing some important developments before they have happened), and this only serves to make Inside Man a movie that is more than your regular suspense movie. I enjoyed this original approach very much, even though he does take quite a long time to wrap things up at the end.

72 out of 96 people found the following comment useful :-
Don't miss this awesome movie!!, 21 March 2006

Author: chungweikao from United States

This is a movie that you don't want to miss! Wonderful plot and keeps the audience guessing till the last second. Denzel is at his best playing the NYPD detective, his wonderful acting makes this story as believing as it can be. Clive Owen, what a superb actor! He is so clam, smooth, and elegant in this movie and he actually makes me root for the "bad guy" from the beginning till the end. Jodie was good, too. However, she doesn't shine as much as the other two actors, but she is still great. If you have seen the preview of this movie than think it might worth checking out, I'm telling you, this is 100 times better than you think! Get up from your chair and go see the movie, NOW!

35 out of 38 people found the following comment useful :-
"Pay strict attention to what I say because I choose my words carefully and I never repeat myself." -Dalton Russell, 26 March 2006

Author: Vincent_Collateral from Ottawa, Canada

Inside Man - My Quick Take

Inside Man is intelligent, intriguing, and extremely entertaining. Spike Lee's latest effort is an amazing heist thriller that will keep your attention for the whole film. It's funny, it's clever, and it's unpredictable. Lee's stylish direction perfectly fits Gewirtz' dazzling screen writing debut.

The cast is led by Lee's perfect direction, as Denzel Washington and Jodie Foster both give top notch performances. Washington gives an unclich�d treatment to his hostage negotiator role, as he's simply as cool as ever. With Foster, we're never certain of her exact occupation, more than ever adding to the enigma of her character and performance.

Clive Owen is slick and darkly intelligent as the film's mastermind. His every move is smooth, clever, and down right innovative to the genre. Christopher Plummer and William Dafoe give hearty supporting performances as well and Chiwetel Ejiofor is simply a treat to watch as Washington's partner.

With technical aspects, the film's editing style is creative and its cinematography is surprisingly dazzling with its execution. Both keep you in the dark atmosphere of the robbery and investigation at hand. The music is always fitting, as it always perfectly sets the tone of each scene. In addition, with Spike Lee's style comes messages he always seems to like slipping into his films. Two examples here are quick takes on racism and violence in video games.

Inside Man is guaranteed to entertain. It's a near perfect film with all questions answered and no plot holes found by its end. It may be brought down by some weaker scenes, as they slightly lower the film's entertainment value, but otherwise, Gewirtz' heist screenplay is perfectly and beautifully brought to the screen. Inside Man is a must see and is the best film of the year so far.

My Rating: 9/10

Eliason A.

38 out of 49 people found the following comment useful :-
lived up to expectations and beyond...., 21 March 2006

Author: movie_fanatic2006 from USA

I just got a chance to watch it on its advance screening and man, what a movie this was.

Lee's fourth outing with Denzel Washington follows the story of a bank heist undertaken by criminal mastermind, Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) and his merry band of robbers. Having walked into a bank dressed as painters, the gang proceed to take everyone they can get their hands on hostage and then add insult to injury by getting them all to dress-up as decorators. Think Dog Day Afternoon meets Changing Rooms. What in the name of blue blazes is going on? Is Dalton really trying to pull off the perfect bank heist or is there something else entirely in that pretty head of his? Washington stars as Detective Keith Fraser, the guy brought in to rub the situation on the stomach and make it all better. He, of course, is filled to the brim with his own problems. The hostage situation struggles to find a resolution and Jodie Foster is finally beckoned to save the day by the bank's founder Christopher Plummer who, surprisingly enough, has some secrets of his own hidden in a security box in the bank.

A real old fashioned caper, Inside Man continually offers enough suspense and intrigue to keep you gripped throughout, but essentially deprives you of the last piece of the stylish puzzle until the very end.

Washington once again proved to be the man, he was brilliant in every way and nearly did better then his brilliant acting in Man on fire.What can i say aboutJodie foster, i mean two Oscars prove that she is the best and thistime once again she proved that. Clive Owen was unlucky not to beconsidered to be the ultimate spy " James Bond" but no worries he still did a wonderful job.

From now on i will be looking forward to more Spike Lee films and i hope he keeps going on like this.

9/10

31 out of 46 people found the following comment useful :-
some clever idea and great cast, 19 March 2006

Author: Rick-34 from London

It's curious to see Spike Lee do a straight caper movie. The movie is absent Lee's usual politics, though there are occasional glimpses of his sensibilities. At one point a Sikh has his turban taken away and complains at ends how Sikhs are not Arabs and he's tired of getting harassed all the time.

Anyway, the cast is great - Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, and Christopher Plummer are all top-drawer actors. Willem Dafoe has a smaller part that doesn't use all of his talents, unfortunately. The clever twist the plot adds is that the bank robbers dress everybody up in the same masks and jump suits that they themselves are wearing. So if the police raid the bank, they'll have a difficult time figuring who the bad guys are. (This isn't a spoiler - it's in the trailers.) Clive Owen and the robbers are clearly up to something that becomes apparent during the course of the film. They are particularly interested in the safety deposit box of the bank CEO, played by Christopher Plummer. Jodie Foster is brought in by him to protect "his interests". Her existence is amusing in that it reveals a bit about what Spike Lee thinks the corridors of white power are like. (Here's a hint, Spike: rich white folks don't swear at each other quite as much as you make them do, and in particular the word used by the Mayor to describe Jodie Foster's character is way beyond the pale. A real woman with as much influence as her character had would retaliate massively after being so described. But Spike Lee has never quite managed to capture any female character correctly, dating all the way back to Nola Darling. I digress.) The good parts of the film involve the interactions between Washington and Owen. Also, the many small man-on-the-street conversations are great. This aspect of observing street life has always been one of Lee's strongest points.

It was interesting watching a Spike Lee caper film. I kinda like the idea. It's better than the formulaic caper films that are the rage, and features some of Lee's trademark shots, like when he puts an actor on a dolly to create non-walking walking movement. I recommend the film.

36 out of 58 people found the following comment useful :-
Well made heist flick, 14 March 2006

Author: Sven76 from Netherlands

An unusual turn for director Spike Lee, the conventional heist movie 'Inside Man', starring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster & Chiwetel Ojiofor.

Even though the plot has twists, it's still pretty straight forward stuff for the usually controversial filmmaker. What is obvious though, is that good filmmakers turn this material into something more than it might have been by a 'lesser' director.

Solid performances by the cast, even though Jodie Foster is somewhat underused in this, but still, a solid heist movie with an interesting turn of events.

20 out of 27 people found the following comment useful :-
Intelligent thrills, 22 March 2006

Author: El Gato-4

A pleasure from start to finish. An older Denzel Washington has begun to emerge, and his performance here suggests he has many good years left. Clive Owen is terrific as the mastermind. He, and the plot, keeps you guessing. And while there are plenty of clues, they are so well incorporated that very few viewers will see how this one comes together in the end.

One major quibble: Jodie Foster's character is more archetype than person so it's to her credit that she pulls it off as well as it does. However, don't let that deter you from enjoying one of the best movies of the year. I'm glad to see Spike Lee tackle another genre film. He brings a re-invigorating approach to what, in other hands, would be a tiresome rehash. That liveliness seems to have worked on him, too -- this is his best film in several years.

40 out of 67 people found the following comment useful :-
Surprisingly brilliant!, 20 March 2006

Author: dizzybroadway from United Kingdom

it was surprisingly really, really good! Probably the most unpredictable thriller to come out of Hollywood in a long time. Clive Owen and Denzel Washington are brilliant, but for me Jodie Foster steals the show. One of her best supporting roles to date. I was a little surprised when i saw it, thinking it was going to be another one of those boring American thrillers, but i was happily surprised to see a complicated, intelligent film with some interesting political undertones. One thing i would say that really annoyed me about this film was the incredibly irritating music in the opening credits. It had absolutely no reference to the film and it felt really out of place. At times the sweeping camera shots get on your nerves, but when you get into the film, the exciting and interesting plot helps you to forget all about it!

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