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22/04/06
Inside Man by Jenni  Overall rating: 92% As I am back at home, it took the promise of cheap Orange Wednesdays to drag me to Runcorn Cineworld* - but I think for once I can safely say I’m rather glad I decided to go. Aside from his more commercially successful ventures such as ‘Do The Right Thing’ and ‘Malcolm X’, I am pretty unfamiliar with Spike Lee’s work. I know as much that deals with issues of social justice regarding race, I also know that neither of the aforementioned films could be described as ‘popcorn entertainment’. This worried me as I did throw my toys out the pram about which film my group of friends should see (come on – like I was going to be dragged to ‘She’s The Man’!), and we all know if the film buff picks wrong she is liable to face the wrath. But I needn’t have feared. Lee has created a smooth heist thriller that is consistently entertaining. Starting off as an action film, but morphing into an engaging game of cat and mouse, Inside Man manages to be both intricate and light-hearted. Without wishing to divulge too much and putting it in it’s simplest terms, the plot follows a bank heist told from both the criminal’s (Clive Owen) and the detective’s (Denzel Washington) point of view. Throw in a corrupt bank owner and you’re good to go! Yeah we have seen it before, but this is one of the better examples of the genre. The appeal of Inside Man is that it’s actually very simple. We see how a heist is masterminded and the attempts to stop it unfold before our eyes. Sometimes less really is more. The few deviations from the main characters are the films weaker moments. Denzel Washington, although a little typecast, makes the character of the fallen detective seem grounded but charismatic enough so that watching him is a pleasure. Clive Owen, again a little bit one note, also draws enough menace teamed with intellect and morality to make you want him to get away with it (but he really needs to work on his American accent!!). The chemistry between the two actors works perfectly and it is this element that keeps you interested. The interesting thing is that the only recognisable trace of Spike Lee is the opening credits. It is by far the ‘safest’ film on his CV, but I do hope Spike isn’t selling himself out. Although it has a few flaws, such as unclear motives, a patchy finale and Jodie Foster (don’t hurt me, aside from in Taxi Driver and Silence of the Lambs she’s irritating), Inside Man is a solid film that, whilst not being jaw droppingly memorable, is certainly good for a couple of hours entertainment. In Summary: There’s nothing else out – go see this. No seriously. It’s this, Scary Movie 4 or Firewall. Go see this! * Although I constantly rip into Cineworld, I do have to admit they are far better than the shining beacon of incompetence that is Warrington UCI. |