 | Great Movie
rating: 4
Denzel is great in this movie, as he is in them all. The plot is a little far fetched, but worth the watch.
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Denzel... Same charactor as always. Nothing new.
rating: 2
As far as Spike lee films go, it's one of his better ones, and... least racial. As far as Denzel Washington films go, it's about the same as any other.
I got tired of Denzel after Crimson Tide. It seems he always has to have some racial element in his films. Here we get white cops who can't help themselves but throw racial terms around, a Nazi Jewish "white" guy, and a condescending "white" Jodie Foster. Denzel, of course, is the untouchable, unwavering, incorruptible, follow-the-law, smarter-then-the-people-around-him, black man, told to bend the rules, or accused of bending the rules by his white bosses, and chiefs.... even the mayor. It's the role he's been in so many times before, that Training Day was actually a nice change.
The story is simple, and interesting enough to watch all the way through, but there are no real surprises, and no exciting parts. Everything just moves along at the same pace through the film. It's more the interaction between the good actors that keeps this film flowing. Watch Ocean's 11, or the Italian Job if you want to watch something actually worth watching.
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DENZEL & SPIKE HIT ONE OUTTA THE PARK AGAIN!
rating: 4
As expected, Denzel Washington is in excellent form. I cannot even imagine him being any better, considering the body of work he has amassed during his career. Washington was eerily on point in "Malcolm X", smoothly sensual in "Mo Better Blues", and so intense in "Training Day" that he made me want to marry a thug!
In this flick, he exhibits everything that makes Denzel a master at his craft. His character is arrogant, thuggish, and intuitive. While I'm not a fan of director Spike Lee's choice of projects over the years, I find his crisp cinematography, inventive camera angles, intelligent editing, and moving jazzy soundtracks very impressive and a dominant thread in all of his films. The growth in these areas are evident here, exhibiting an inter-dependent and mutually beneficial relationship in this, Washington and Lee's fourth film together.
As for the other characters, Jodie Foster's talents are wasted - she just coasted through the film, with overtones of Clarice in "Silence of the Lambs". It seems as if she was included so that the movie trailer announcer could say "Academy Award Winner" twice! As for Clive Owen, this is the best that I have ever seen him, as charismatic and sympathetic as Hannibal Lechter. Chiwetel Ejiofor holds his own against the dominant Washington, giving the star the requisite amount of support and respect. The only person that I found totally out of place was that actress was who played Denzel's girlfriend. It took a lot more time than I usually allot to researching my reviews to find out who she was. I think her name is Cassandra Freeman. She had one film role before this and IT SHOWS! Her whole role could have been portrayed just as easily over the phone. In addition to Freeman's "school play" acting skills, her part was non-essential to the plot and far too young for the maturing Washington. She is a full THIRTY YEARS YOUNGER than Washington! What the ....?! For some reason, Hollywood seems to thrive on the older-man-way-too-much-younger-woman theme, instead of giving these female roles to "les femmes d'un certain âge". Look at whose dominating the box office and award shows: Helen Mirren ("The Queen"), Meryl Streep ("The Devil Wears Prada"), and Judi Dench ("Notes on a Scandal"), etc. I can see the director not wasting such a vapid role on a top actress but, either beef up the role to make it worthy of a Angela Bassett, or have the lines called in, "Charlie's Angels"-style.
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Spike hits a home run
rating: 3
This film proven to be a hit at the box office for filmmaker Spike Lee. I usually avoid his films like the plague since I've grown tired of his preaching on race and the ills of this country but for once, he has delivered a solid, entertaining movie. The cast, for starters, is excellent. Denzil Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Willem Dafoe, Christopher Plummer & Chiwetel Ejiotor really deliver the goods in this slick heist movie. Seemingly a heist film, this film is more than that and thank god, Lee steers away from his political preaching. If you've avoided his films in the past, do check this one out--you'll probably like it.
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Spike does it again!
rating: 5
The latest Spike Lee Joint, Inside Man, is the best bank heist movie since Pacino's Dog Day Afternoon... but it's much better. For those who may have thought that Spike has gone mainstream, you need to see the way he spins this plot. It's not even over when it's over, and the characters are built as multi-layered, free forms. This film is what you go to the theater to experience.
It's a crime drama. It's a mystery; it's a thriller. We're given a stellar cast: Denzel Washington, Willem Defoe, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer. It's about a bank robbery, but Denzel steals the film. Whenever he gets together with Spike, you tend to just let them work their magic. Inside Man is no different. There are perhaps three film makers who know New York City like the back of their hands - Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese and, yes, Spike Lee. Lee really captures the raw grit and emotion of the streets of New York and its people, post 9/11.
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