I must either really like this movie or I must either really not like this movie. I rented it. Watched it. Returned it. Then a couple of weeks later I rented it again. The second time felt like the first time. Either this is a really good movie or I am getting old and forgot I had already watched it. Yeah, it is probably an age thing.

Inside Man was yet another movie that I assume was once in the theaters but I guess I never heard about it when it was. That has been happening a lot more recently. It could be memory loss, a poor advertising campaign, or more than likely – movies are coming and going much faster in the movie theaters than they once did. A lot of that has to do with home theater systems and DVD’s since I can remember waiting four years for E.T. to come out in its green videotape after I watched it in the cinema for $4.00 mind you too. Gosh, I must be getting old!

With that lengthy almost pointless introduction aside – I was indifferent to Spike Lee’s Inside Man. The movie had a mystery to it, action, and enough character banter from three great actors – but even still something was missing. Something that I found out took over 2 hours to be told. This could have been a very good movie with some tighter editing and a faster pace. Instead it was a melodrama bank robbery with characters that seemed out of place and unaware of any conclusion besides the inevitable showdown with the end credits.

If there were to be an inside man in Inside Man it would be Dalton Russel/Clive Owens we know this immediately from the start since he tell us so right from the beginning in a “let me tell you this story while looking right into the camera” sort of style. The last movie that I watched that did this was Johnny Depp’s “The Libertine” and we will save that movie for bashing later.

Like most bank heist movies the bad guys enter the bank, jump on teller desks, force everyone to lay down, black out cameras, and generally look mean while holding huge riffles borrowed directly from the NRA. What makes this remotely a different movie is the introduction of Madeline White/Jodie Foster (who they say filmed her part in 3 weeks – and it shows) who is hired by the owner of the bank Arthur Case/Christopher Plummer to protect – something. What something? Ah, the mystery begins. Detective Keith Frazier/Denzel Washington soon arrives on the scene and amongst trying to put an end to the robbery as he think it is – he deals with Madeline White and what her purpose is. What is her purpose? Ah the mystery continues.

What Inside Man should have done is spend more time with why Madeline was hired instead of what she can do in her hired position. Sure, it is interesting to see two powerhouse performances from two great actors like Denzel and Jodie but a little more backstory – maybe even some flashbacks involving Arthur Case would have benefited the movie. That and it would have allowed Christopher Plummer to rip off that abundantly awful fake mustache he is forced to sport.

In the end I had all but lost interest in the movie. Spike Lee’s direction felt way out of place here. It seems that he too has decided and it is his right to do so – to make big budget movies that may draw in the millions from popcorn movie-goers so he can take his net from the movie and make more personal and important movies. Hey, it takes money to make movies – even the ones that sometimes feel they should have been made voluntarily without the need for money or the need for revenue. But even today Independent movies need at least a little bit of mainstream sprinkled into them if they want to be seen at all. Sadly.

Renting Inside Man a second time did at least one good thing. It reminded me of why I didn’t like this movie and I was able to sit down here at my computer and write this entire review without watching it again. A trigger of sorts went off in my head as I was walking back from the video store. So Spike Lee you can feel good that you got an extra $3.99 out of me. Now, go make something more worthwhile.




Recommended:
No

Viewing Format: DVD