Inside Man (2006)

Inside Man, 2006

Directed by Spike Lee
Written by Russell Gewirtz















"Whodunit" is not the question posed by Inside Man; from the very first scene, we know the "who" is Dalton Russell (Clive Owen), because he tells us as much in a tightly-coiled whisper directed at the fourth wall. Dalton is the title character, here to show us the "howdunit" of his crime.

Dalton and a small gang of cohorts descend upon a Manhattan bank and take its employees and customers hostage for the duration of the robbery. Detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) comes in to negotiate the hostage situation. As the game of strategy between Dalton and Keith unfolds, the story intercuts with the ending, the rescued hostages talking to the police. But still, the "ending" is not given away, as the more the hostages explain what happened, the more muddied the truth becomes, and the blurrier the distinction between victims and perpetrators.

Screenwriter Russell Gewirtz has fashioned a fascinating jigsaw puzzle of a narrative, one that tantalizes with its growing mystery, but grounded enough in its own reality that it keeps the viewers from throwing their hands up in defeat. It is the rare film that is as enjoyable to unravel after the credits have rolled as it is to do so while the film is still in progress.

This story may not sound like a Spike Lee joint, certainly more commercial than most if not all of his previous work. Lee's directorial touch, which elevates the film above the crime genre, is his focus on the cross-section of New Yorkers tangled in the web of the heist. Lee is more interested in the humanity of the hostages, policemen, firemen, construction workers, and neighborhood characters than he is with the more traditional crime story focal points of the brilliant thief or the heroic detective. Washington and Owen both turn in compelling performances, but they do not outshine a cast of mostly unknown players who vividly portray the multi-ethnic populace. Though the film offers plenty of twists and turns, perhaps the most surprising aspect is that the heart of the film is something of a valentine to the proud, stubborn, bitchy, hard-working, good-humored, humane, and colorful spirit of New York.

Grade: B+