Inside Man

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. (04/07/2006)

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. (02/21/2010)

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)

An elegant stylish crime film with an intelligent script, likable characters, several twists, and an unexpected ending. That's exactly the kind of movie I like - it keeps me in suspense throughout the duration and pleases me at the end. It has a very decent cast, where Clive Owen and Jodie Foster naturally dominate. Overall impression: 90%. Spike Lee doesn't need almost any action to create an atmosphere, as he relies on perspective and the cleverness of his heroes. (06/02/2010)

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)