'Inside Man'
(Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Chiwetel Ejiofor, et al / R / 87 mins / Universal)
Overview: Spike Lee directs Denzel Washington in the story of a cop trying to defuse a hostage situation in which an ingenious thief attempts to pull off a flawless bank robbery.
Verdict: Every single supporting character in this film, and there are tons of them, is so well-written and -performed you'd like to see each of them in their own movie. And the jumble of voices and ethnicities amounts to its own subplot about post-9/11 anxiety over public life. Leisurely, and smoothly made 'Inside Man' is hugely entertaining and quite possibly Lee's most polished and satisfying work thus far. and Foster in a skirt! Yeah I know, after all the action-hero stuff she's been doing lately — battling terrorists and home invaders — it's weird to see her relieved of the burden of being The Man all the time and playing against type as a sinister-ish corporate power player ... but it sooooo works!
|