Watching: Inside Man

My first review in weeks! Sorry for the delay, everyone--hopefully I will be posting reviews on a more regular basis now. :)

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“Four people dressed in painters' outfits march into the busy lobby of Manhattan Trust, a cornerstone Wall Street Branch of a worldwide financial institution. Within seconds, the costumed robbers place the bank under a surgically planned siege, and the 50 patrons and staff become unwitting pawns in an airtight heist. NYPD hostage negotiators Detectives Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) and Bill Mitchell (Chiwetel Ejiofor) are dispatched to the scene with orders to establish contact with the heist's ringleader, Dalton Russell (Clive Owen), and ensure safe release of the hostages. Working alongside Emergency Services Unit (ESU) Captain John Darius (Willem Dafoe), all are hopeful that the situation can be peacefully diffused and that control of the bank and release of those inside can be secured in short order. But Russell proves an unexpectedly canny opponent--clever, calm and totally in command--a puppet master with a meticulous plan to disorient and confuse not only the hostages, but also the authorities. Outside, the crowd of New Yorkers grows as the situation becomes increasingly intense tense, with Frazier's superiors becoming more concerned about his ability to keep the standoff from spiraling out of control. The robbers appear to consistently be one step ahead of the police, outwitting Frazier and Mitchell at every turn. Frazier's suspicions that more is at work than anyone perceives are justified with the entry of Madeline White (Jodie Foster), a power player with shadowy objectives, who requests a private meeting with Russell. The chairman of the bank's board of directors, controlling entrepreneur Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer), is also uniquely interested in the moment-to-moment happenings inside the branch. But just what are the robbers after? Why has nothing worked to alleviate the standoff, which stretches on hour after hour? Frazier is convinced that invisible strings are being pulled and secret negotiations are taking place as the powder keg situation grows more unstable by the moment.” (summary from Yahoo Movies)

This intense, suspense-packed thriller is a must-see for fans of the action genre. Full of unexpected twists and turn-abouts, the plot is complex and sophisticated, the sort of story that keeps the viewer guessing until the last possible moment. Just when you think you have it all figured out, everything changes again. Forget a predictable storyline—you’ll be lucky if you figure everything out by the end! This film is anything but a typical bank robbery story.

Violence is tolerable, especially in light of certain key facts that are revealed near the film’s end. Profanity runs rampant, though, forcing me to give a very qualified recommendation, instead of the three thumbs up I would otherwise give. Yet again, Hollywood has followed the path of the unnecessary when it comes to language, substantially ruining an otherwise excellent, intelligent film. Still, with modern technology such as Clear Play or TV Guardian, viewers can enjoy the movie without the wholly unnecessary profanity.

Casting is excellent, and the lead actors turn in solid performances. It amazes me that Hollywood has not recognized Clive Owen more substantially—the film industry should snap up such clear, unstudied talent in an actor. Denzel Washington delivers as solid a performance as ever, proving again why he ranks among the strongest talent of his time. Jodie Foster’s portrayal of Madeline White adds an interesting dynamic to the film, and although her performance is not quite on par with Owen or Washington, she delivers extremely well. It would have been nice to see her have more screen time.

All in all, Inside Man is an intriguing, well-conceived good guys/bad guys film, though the excess of profanity makes it a difficult call. Recommended with caution for the mature viewer.

Rated R for language and some violent images.