Inside Man (2006) – Review

Directed by Spike Lee

As a break from revision, the trip down to my local cinema was not surprising. I’d only seen and heard about the ‘Inside Man’ from trailers and various reviews online. Oh by the way, the trailer doesn’t give away much about the film.

I was interested in what Director Spike Lee would bring to an exhausted genre, like the ‘hostage thriller’, ‘cops and robbers’ type of film. The ensemble cast, of which, included Willem Dafoe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jodie Foster, Clive Owen, Christopher Plummer and Denzel Washington, was a pleasant surprise, and no one can doubt their acting credentials.

The ‚ÄòInside Man‚Äô puts a new twist on this type of film through the character‚Äôs and the intelligent script…

Having seen Denzel Washington’s powerful performance in Antoine Fuqua’s ‘Training Day’, I could see why he was right for this role. The main character ‘Detective Frazier’ played by Washington is a good cop who tries to outsmart his opponent, in this case, ‘Dalton Russell’ played by Clive Owen. But as the film shows there is mystery that needs to be uncovered, and we soon find out, not all is what it seems. To find the truth, Frazier must dig deeper, but at the same time try to think outside the box to find answers. Although there are many smaller roles in the film, each character brings their own style and tries to make their mark on the film, not trying to steal the show, but just to do their part in the film.

The film has many layers, all of which blend together to form a sophisticated plot, where little pieces of information are revealed to us, and then remerge later on in the film. This tool is but one of the ways that makes the ‘Inside Man’ interesting. These pieces of information are like hints that provide some background to the story and its messages. The film is balanced with some light-hearted comedic moments and smart dialogue.

The cinematography is down to earth and suits the story. The visual language it speaks, is that of a cinematographer who is used to free flowing camera movements and varied types of shots. The person I am talking about is Matthew Libatique, who I first heard of through Darren Aronofsky’s ‘Pi’.

Like a big jigsaw puzzle, by the end the ‚ÄòInside Man‚Äô puts together all the missing pieces and loose ends, you‚Äôre left with the thought ‚Äú‚Ķoh now I get it…‚Äù

A solid film that is one of many in the revival of mainstream filmmaking that has seen a change from clich?©d films to a period of ‚Äòconscious‚Äô filmmaking.

8/10