Inside Man

Spike Lee is a genius! A genre film thought out to the last detail, shot with clarity (Matthew Libatique's amazing cinematography, editing, the scene composition) and insight (wit, great allusions to the atmosphere of New York 5 years after 9/11). Thanks to the artfully inserted details, cuts, and masterful work with fabrication, the film is above all known standards. For the majority of the viewing public, it is an overly verbose and desperately inactive affair, but for those who can read between the lines of this most distinctive African-American in Hollywood's director's chair, they will understand that there is no robbery like a robbery and the sins of youth are not forgotten even after sixty years. Thanks, Spike! (25/08/2006)

A perfect way to fool the viewer, after all, it's not about the robbery. Spike Lee excels in his typical side aspects: political incorrectness and lots of smaller or larger race references in all possible forms, so no one should be surprised that the robbery, so tempting and full of ideas at first glance, is ultimately incredibly simple. This thematic mix had to have some structure. The cast is excellent – especially Denzel Washington and Christopher Plummer. In essence, there’s nothing breathtaking, but the dialogues are so fierce and current that you will gladly watch it again. This is how a multi-thematic film without a proper theme is made. (22/07/2007)

A very pleasant surprise. At the beginning Inside Man seems like a simple bank robbery movie, but it would have to be made by someone else and not Spike Lee for this to be true. Whatever you think might happen you will be wrong and that’s the magic of the whole movie which is filled with great acting performances. Clive Owen is cool even though his face is hidden behind a mask throughout the movie and I just dig his cool, languid walk. Denzel Washington is a pleasantly down to earth policeman and Willem Dafoe doesn’t play a baddy for a change. Simply a movie full of surprises. Pleasant surprises. (29/09/2006)

Luckily Spike Lee hasn’t drowned in commercial waters and managed to film a very pleasant and intelligent picture that he worked some moments from his previous works into. The screenplay starts off with an excellent idea, which makes it all the more surprising that in the end it is the screenplay that is the weakest aspect of this movie, because it isn’t enough for over two hours of running time. Luckily this isn’t completely obvious when you are watching, thanks to Spike, the absolutely perfect casting and a very successful balancing on a knife’s edge between thriller and comedy. Overall, very good, but for me The Negotiator remains the “king" of this type of movie. (07/04/2006)

After my second viewing of Inside Man, I’m raising my rating to five stars. This film is as elegant as Denzel Washington’s sleek suit in the final scenes. It is a conscious, intelligent and entertaining flick about a bank robbery that does not need to contain any violence (or thugs) to have balls, and which actually works as a criticism of violence (a parallel with the action game on a little black boy’s PSP display). The actors enjoy it all the way, Spike Lee and Brian Grazer (who kept the budget at an incredible USD 45 million) are amazing, and the final song, “Chaiyya Chaiyya Bollywood Joint”, perfectly captures the emotions of the movie. (21/02/2010)