Inside Man

Bank robber Dalton Russell (Owen) has taken over a Manhattan bank intending to commit the 'perfect robbery'. Detective Frazier (Washington) is the guy tasked with figuring out Russell's plan before he starts to off hostages. Matters are further complicated by the presence of powerful go-to-girl Madeline White (Foster) who's working on behalf of the mysterious bank president (Plummer). Appearing on paper (and judging by the trailer) to be something of a pedestrian thriller, Inside Man's stock is raised by the presence of director Lee, who makes his most commercial and enjoyable movie for some time. It's entertaining on almost every level - even the normally pointless flashbacks serve a worthy purpose - yet still manages to be both original and surprisingly smart. The cast are obviously having a blast and the script has enough genuine twists to keep you guessing until the hugely satisfying end. But Lee is the real star of the show here; keeping things moving at blistering pace, he gives you just enough breathing space to be one step behind the sharp script, and like all good directors, rewards you for your patience. An exercise in film-making by a director enjoying the confines of a new genre, Inside Man comes highly recommended.