Inside Man

Right off the bat I knew I was going to like this film when the opening credits played to a song from the Bollywood inspired musical Bombay Dreams from composer A.R. Rhaman. Cool Indian music put aside, Inside Man is a riveting, yet subtle, heist drama. Drama, however, probably isn’t the best word because the film is funny too, in a weird hostage-situation way. In fact, most of the humor comes from racial and ethnic tensions, which director Spike Lee seems to be an expert on. In terms of the heist, Clive Owen leads a team in what seems to be an ordinary bank robbery with several dozen hostages. The details of the crime and the various factors that play a part in the motive for the crime, and ultimately what happens in the end, are what make this different from other heist movies. Denzel Washington is the head detective trying to negotiate with Owen’s demands through sometimes unrealistic mind games, but entertaining mind games nonetheless. The timeline of the film is also intriguing by mixing the present with the future and the jazzy musical score adds a groovy spin on the metropolitan setting. Even though Inside Man is a bit out there, and Jodie Foster’s ambiguous character is a bit tiring, the film is an overall treat that gives surprises in supporting roles, creative dialogue and plot twists, and through the stylish manner in which it is presented.

Starring: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Director: Spike Lee
Runtime: 129 minutes