Inside Man 2/5 reviewed by Mike

Try this cast on for size: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Willem Dafoe. This sounds like it would have to be a good movie to get all these actors to agree to do it--and it almost is.

The impressive cast all do a good job with the parts they are given, there's no doubt about that. These people are big names for a reason, and it shows here. The acting is good. But I'm convinced (yet again) that director Spike Lee doesn't know what he's doing.

The basic idea is a simple bank robbery/hostage situation in New York. The movie takes about ten minutes to let you know that it was filmed in New York, by the way. Denzel Washington plays a dectective that gets called in to handle the situation, which quickly spirals out of control. It becomes clear that this isn't the average bank robbery, and something else is going on besides just money.

The first major problem I had here is the music. The opening credits and end credits both have this wierd, unplaceable music that really disorients the viewer, not only because it's not very well done, but because it's so out of place for a bank heist movie. It's like some dumbed-down version of Indian traditional music, with oversimplified percussion backing it. The scoring of the bulk of the film was horrendous. It was like listening to some cheesy version of Henry Mancini scoring a 1960's cop drama. I think Lee was trying to create a nostalgic thriller-movie feel, but it doesn't work. Especially when the music spouts annoying cliche's at random times, that are punctuated by wierd jump cuts and predictably cheesy camera angles.

Spike Lee has this habit of derailing his movies to make unneccesary points about race relations. It's clear that he will sacrifice plot and character so he can vent about rasicsm. It just seems like everytime he gets a script, he goes, "hey, lets add like 30 minutes of people complaining about how they're mistreated because of their race--no, I don't care if it's not what the character would do--make him do it! And make sure all the white people look like idiotic bigots!" Spike's random race talks really take away from the pacing of this film, which wasn't that good to begin with. There are entire subplots--and Jodie Foster's entire character--that are completely irrelevant to anything. If they were erased completely from the film, no one could tell the difference. Not to mention the fact that Spike tries to be like Tarantino, and jump around in time--but the cuts don't make sense, and are clearly there because because it "seems cool and hip" rather than because it helps the story. There's about 25 minutes at the end that should be erased as well. Things resolve, and there's a predictable subplot left to the viewers imagination--but instead of leaving it there, it follows that plot for 25 minutes, still doesn't resolve it, and then ends. It feels tagged on and unecessary. You'd think someone hailed as such a good director would understand how to pace a film--129 minutes never felt so long.

If you're looking to see a good cop movie, check out 16 Blocks. If you want to explore race relations, go rent Crash. Leave Inside Man for the people who give Spike Lee a free pass because he sacrifices his movies to make political points.

See this movie if:
-You've already seen "V" and "16 Blocks" and you're still dying to get to a theatre. There's just nothing else out.
-You're looking for more reasons to be mad at white people, and "Crash" was too complex and honest for you.
-You love seeing Denzel be cool, and nothing else matters.

Don't see this movie if:
-A movie's soundtrack is an important part of storytelling for you.
-You want to think you're being smart, political, and informed, yet seeing a quasi-action movie at the same time.
-The last time you saw Jodie Foster was the original "Freaky Friday." Let the innocence stay there...