Inside Man (2006)

Inside Man (2006)

7/10

Starring

Denzel Washington

Clive Owen

Jodie Foster

Christopher Plummer

Willem Dafoe

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Directed by Spike Lee

Spike Lee directed this movie, but it didn’t feel like the typical Spike Lee film I know. That said, it’s an awesome movie, with Denzel Washington making the hostage negotiation scenes look magnificent. He was so good at it, you’d think it’s what he does for a living. That said, this movie does not meet the requirements I was expecting when there is Washington and Foster starring in a movie.

I like how the movie operates on multiple levels. However, the plot has a glaring hole (or maybe my assumptions below are correct) about how the criminals knew which bank and which safe deposit box to target. The knowledge of the bad man’s crime is explained in the film (hopefully, you didn’t miss that), but maybe it’s the job of the "inside man" to figure out the bank and the box. Perhaps the title refers to Clive Owen’s character, Russell, in how he operates at the end. Whether or not that’s the case, I think the writer leaves it to our imagination to fill in the blanks.

The movie starts with a captivating musical score before introducing us to Russell, who explains the bank robbery he’s about to pull off, promising it’ll make a big splash. He and his team raid the bank, dressing all the hostages in the same outfits as them to confuse any potential identification.

Detective Keith (Denzel Washington) is brought in to handle the hostage negotiation. He quickly suspects there’s more going on in the bank than just a robbery because the robbers aren’t making calls or significant moves. Meanwhile, the bank owner hires a fixer, White (Jodie Foster), to ensure something hidden in the bank doesn’t come to light.

White, who has powerful connections from past dealings, uses her influence to gain access to the robbery scene. As Keith’s suspicions start to solidify, he’s forced to navigate the situation carefully, saving hostages, figuring out the robbers’ true intentions, and dealing with his own personal issues and White’s interference.

The movie was both a critical and commercial success. It’s an engaging watch, but you’ll need to pay close attention to the dialogue and details to fully grasp the layers of the plot. The downside is that the co-stars didn’t get their due. While Denzel and Clive nailed their roles, Jodie Foster’s talent was underutilized, and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s potential felt wasted. I have seen this movie a couple of times, but I can understand if others see it as a waste.