Inside Man

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. (09/29/2006)

Denzel Washington's dashing detective, Clive Owen's charismatic thief and the most sophisticated bank heist ever portrayed on film. Inside Man is really hard to describe if you haven't come across the specific approach Spike Lee takes to all his films. But if you’re already familiar with his impressive precision, attention to detail, and his careful development of the main characters, you can imagine that two whole hours are not nearly enough for a story full of twists, turns, eavesdropping, political interests, and millions of dollars. The film simply has "balls", there is always something going on, there isn’t a single moment or shot that is superfluous or even meaningless in the sum total, and you can’t help but smile at the entire crew and cast for what a suspenseful and gripping thriller they have made, and in just one building. Even Sydney Lumet and his famous Dog Day Afternoon would applaud it. 95% (11/21/2012)

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! (08/25/2006)

Overcomplicated and yet unfinished. Spike Lee's storytelling style just doesn't sit well with me. After 25th Hour, he couldn't capture my attention in the first half to deliver an almost beautiful ending. This was mainly aided by the brilliant Clive Owen, but otherwise, this piece in its omniscience and supposed lightness failed in a striking way. (12/16/2006)

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. (07/22/2007)