Inside Man

[w/o horse]

I liked the shit out of it.  It firmly cements Lee as versatile and capable director, one of the best we have.  All one would need to do is watch Crooklyn and then Inside Man to know this.  It also was an awakening as to the changes the face of cinema has gone through; it seemed like a post-action movie:  the idea of action, the idea of violence, the idea of suspense, but character driven, performance driven, and capably photographed.  There was a lot of stuff that didn't make too much sense, but it didn't matter, because it wasn't about the story, it was about the triggers.

I think that Lee brought along social commentary is terrific.  This isn't Do the Right Thing, okay, it isn't even Clockers; this isn't Lee's movie about racial or sexual prejudices, the point wasn't so much to make us go home and think about it as to make us see that it's ubiquitous, in any situation.  Absurd, unfair, funny, ridicuolous, contemptuous, sardonic, it happens it all sorts of ways, in all the ways in one instant.  Bank robbery, air port, videogame, missing turban.

It was sometimes exhilarating, sometimes hillarious, and always going forward.  Until the end, which was contrived in all sorts of way but what are you going to do.

[RegularKarate]

This was exactly what I wanted from it.
It was a really well-made big-budget type cliched heist movie.  There were a few parts that I didn't quite understand or didn't make that much sense, but I just didn't care that much.

Did anyone else think that Foster was channeling Ann Coulter?

[matt35mm]

libatique is competent but i think there are better photographers about that would be dying to work with spike. it wouldn't just be because he's from new york and he's black would it? just kidding.

Matthew Libatique is Filipino.  Maybe it depends on the picture you see of him, but he's never looked black to me.

[MacGuffin]

i don't know why spike didn't stick with roderigo prieto for his last two movies. maybe prieto wasn't interested.

I think it was because he was already committed to shooting Babel.

[pete]

It also was an awakening as to the changes the face of cinema has gone through; it seemed like a post-action movie:  the idea of action, the idea of violence, the idea of suspense, but character driven, performance driven, and capably photographed.  There was a lot of stuff that didn't make too much sense, but it didn't matter, because it wasn't about the story, it was about the triggers.

that sounds like a pre-action movie to me; like some humphrey bogart flick.

[w/o horse]

It also was an awakening as to the changes the face of cinema has gone through; it seemed like a post-action movie:  the idea of action, the idea of violence, the idea of suspense, but character driven, performance driven, and capably photographed.  There was a lot of stuff that didn't make too much sense, but it didn't matter, because it wasn't about the story, it was about the triggers.

that sounds like a pre-action movie to me; like some humphrey bogart flick.

No but the dialogue wasn't inspired, it was fun and sometimes funny.  Missing drug money and a hostage situation, swat cars and rooftop snipers and pizza deliveries.  Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico references.  Denzel in a truck getting Albanian ex-wives to translate presidential speeches for clemency on parking tickets.  Jodie face down on the floor going in to negotiate a deal.  Dirty papers and the good for nothing always going to jail brother who lives next door while you bang the sister.

It was all the stuff of a 90s action movie besides the action.  Many times removed from the days of Bogart.

[Pozer]

So why is a cliched movie with a weak/confusing plot and the main cop character spouting witty comebacks so entertaining?

[Gamblour.]

Haha wow I just realized how literal the title is.

It's entertaining because it really tries to avoid being a heist movie. Every little joke, the sexism/racism, the video game, the interrorgation inserts, the self-awareness that it is like Dog Day Afternoon, but instead of character-driven it is plot-driven-away-from. It's really caught up in the "what else" instead of the "what?" I don't think it's pre or post, it's more like an Extra-action movie. It focuses on the bubble outside of the heist.

[cron]

 best line in the movie "thank you, bank robber." it was  very solid .  i loved jodie's bitchness and clive's badassness and denzel's baldness. and i can't believe i got to see it the same weekend that you guys did.

[©brad]

wow, this is getting rave reviews. 90% at rottentoamtoes and all positives at www.movies.com.

[Neil]

I saw this film last night, and i also really enjoyed it.  The length hasn't been discussed here yet, so that tells me that it did the same for you guys as it did for me.  It felt almost like a television series, or something, weather that is good or bad, I'm not sure.  I seriously remember one point thinking about how funny it would be if the screen said "Intermission" and we got a 15 minute stretch break.  But, i thought that the Spoiler denzel shot, added a little something to it, and also, the shot's in the interrogation room had a whole different tone.  I wasn't expecting a heist film, i thought it was going to be more clever and thought based...The actual twist i thought was going to happen was Not spoiler, or maybe it is i thought denzel would be involved, or something, like Jodie, or something, who knows what i thought...I kind of pictured it trying something like that...I left the film not wanting to talk about it, and films that do that i really like, i mean i just wanted to kind of think of it as a whole, and i decided that it was fun, and shocking, and i really thought the elements came together well...The ring thing though, i didn't get too involved with it, because there wasn't much attachment to it. So, when the police officers started to care about it, i kind of did, then when they dropped it, i did as well...It made me think of primer...All the characters are saying all this shit and you have no idea what they're talking about, all you know is that, they know what they're talking about...I'll probably change my mind on alot of stuff, but i think for now this is what i thought of it.

[RegularKarate]

haha... I think you spilled your jar of incomplete thoughts

[Neil]

I definitely do that, but I'm not really into tactical posts, i just go with it, maybe i should work on that?

[Pozer]

Don't take my word at all regarding this movie.  Sounds like I'm the only one who didn't enjoy it.  Guess I was in the wrong mood or something.

[matt35mm]

SPOILER QUESTION






How did Dalton know about the old man's secret?






END SPOILER




I liked it.  I liked the music--it added a lot to a Spike Lee vibe, which ran throughout the film, not counting the obvious "Spike Lee shots."  Some of the revelations aren't very surprising, because you expect that it's not as it seems in the first place.  Other than that, it was made with such fun and joy for filmmaking, and that kept me entertained the whole time.  I really didn't care about the things that don't make that much sense.  I never really do.

B+