Review

Review Date: 26-March-06
Spoiler Rating: Low
Juju Judgment: Juicy

Inside Man (2006)

"Inside Man" begins and ends with a catchy, Indian-sounding tune. But the overall impression is of a symphony wherein many instruments come together to create an aesthetically pleasing whole. Its foundation is a solid screenplay by Russell Gewirtz that describes the takeover of a crowded Manhattan bank by a small group of masked criminals. This group applies enough force to keep its hostages in a state of obedient terror while it carries out a plan involving a basement supply room and a certain safe deposit box. Meanwhile, all manner of cops, politicians, and other people of power congregate outside the bank waiting to make their move.

To this underlying theme is added an assembly of actors who enrich it with depth and life. Denzel Washington contributes his mellow and masculine presence as a hostage negotiator who senses that the situation is more than your usual heist. (He's one of the few actors ever who can simultaneously portray an average Joe and the coolest guy in the room.) Backing him up is British up-and-comer Chiwetel Ejiofor, gleefully embracing his New York tough-talker role, as well as Willem Dafoe with his characteristic tenor of gloom. Breathing down their backs are the ever-elegant Christopher Plummer as the bank president and a jarring Jodie Foster as a broker who specializes in getting the extremely rich whatever they want. All of these players are tuned into Clive Owen as the lead bad guy, who's riveting enough even behind a mask to make his contribution heard.

The grace notes of the piece come from director Spike Lee, who appears to have rediscovered his stride. He achieves great results in the way he frames scenes, uses settings (the architecture is fantastic), and gives each moment of action, suspense, or humor just the right amount of time for maximum effect. (The humor is noteworthy and includes both grins and laugh-out-loud moments.) On top of that, he still manages to give the film a personal touch by addressing racial issues in a matter-of-fact way, e.g., the complications involved with suspecting or being an Arab in the post-9/11 world, the violence ingrained in black culture as evidenced in a child's video game, etc. With all the components coming together under Lee's able hand, "Inside Man" is an off-season surprise that's music to a moviegoer's ears.

Copyright © 2006 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.