Inside Man

The volatile showdown between a determined cop and a perfectionist bank robber is sent spiraling toward disaster when a scheming power broker steps in to take control of the situation in this hair-raising heist flick directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, and Jodie Foster. Dalton Russell (Owen) is a bank robber with a difference. In his quest to execute the perfect heist, Dalton has taken every possible factor into consideration. Dalton's uncanny ability of staying one step ahead of the law thwarts even-tempered Detective Keith Frazier's (Washington) best efforts. But there's another factor at play. The bank president (Christopher Plummer) has requested the services of high-profile negotiator Madeline White (Foster). Despite her commendable track record, Madeline is something of a wild card, and before the day is over, this bank robbery will go down in history as one of the most elaborate heists ever executed.

AMG Review: Filmmaker Spike Lee's first foray into big-studio genre movies, Inside Man is a twisty thriller that makes up for its flaws with star power and sharp observations about post-2001 New York. With his keen eye for New York City atmosphere and gift for kinetic camerawork, Lee enhances the tension of neophyte scripter Russell Gerwitz's bank heist and the shifting questions of the robbers' identities and motivations during what becomes a very long night in the life of Denzel Washington's initially confident hostage negotiator. Nothing, of course, is as it seems, as even a superficially slick genre narrative becomes fodder for Lee's witty and ominous commentary about racial profiling, class, and the complexities of New York's ethnic melting pot. Perennial Lee leading man Washington is sterling as a detective who refuses to let anything get in the way of doing his job. Washington's nemesis Clive Owen exudes his signature cool charisma as the steely criminal mastermind, while Jodie Foster has a ball playing a powerful woman whose job title remains an utter mystery. Once the standoff ends, though, the energy dissipates and the multiple endings still leave a few glaring holes. Nevertheless, Lee still succeeds in pulling off the neatest trick of all: making Inside Man sleek entertainment with a brain.