Film Review
‘Inside Man’: Spike Lee
Pitches Successful Changeup

By: Daniel Watkins (April 2, 2006)

“The Inside Man” is a tough movie to read. It is about a bank heist that is masterfully planned by Dalton Russell (Clive Owen), and executed to a “T.” Detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) is a hostage negotiator, who is primarily responsible for the 50 hostages stuck inside the bank. The movie starts off cleverly and very straight to the point. It begins with Russell preparing for the robbing, and within 10 minutes, the bank is under control by the small group of criminals led by him. At this point in the movie it almost seems like there will be no twists, and it could be a very generic thriller where the crowd is supposed to be on the edge of their seats the entire time. It couldn’t be farther from that though, because the movie dives into many different twists and logical but sometimes complicated plot changes. It is not your typical thriller, that’s for sure.

The director, Spike Lee, is known more for making movies about racial politics; movies that try to convey a strong moral and social point. It was almost a surprise when I saw that this box office mega movie was directed by a man who normally doesn’t choose this path for his movies. While it is a bit out of his norm, he still does include some of his genius film making techniques throughout the movie. There are underlying racial issues, brought up in a few scenes, one including an Arab man being beaten by police when he was one of the hostages. Lee also includes his weird “floating traveling shot,” in which the character does not move but the background does. It adds perfectly to the flow of the scenes it is used in, and not overdone at all. First-rate acting also helps bring us in to the movie, when all in all, there isn’t really an abundance of action.

Denzel Washington, as always, is brilliant, and plays his character very well. Keith Frazier is a hostage negotiator waiting for his big break. He is very laid back though, and it shows when he is called in to do what he is paid to do. Frazier is goofy at times, and you wonder if you are watching a comedy or an action movie. Clive Owen also plays to his acting strengths. Dalton Russell is a very smart man who can quickly and easily get his point across. For most of the movie he is calm, cool, and collective, which adds to the intrigue of his overall plot for the bank. He is followed around by his three accomplices, who pay attention to all of his orders and are convincingly loyal. Madeline White (Jodie Foster) is also a main character that is drawn into the mix to protect the bank owner’s personal property in the crime scene. Her political connections and smooth-talking style, that never reveals anything about her, adds another layer of mystery to the whole bank robbery. The characters seem to be cast perfectly, and everyone seems to fit into their overall role in the movie.

“The Inside Man” is made to make you think. But not in the normal Spike Lee fashion. The plot thickens as the movie heads toward its conclusion, and requires a little bit of thought to fully understand. Some loyal Spike Lee fans might think of this film as a “sell out,” but I don’t think it can be considered that when it is so brilliantly put together and presented.