Inside Man (DVD)

After I saw Inside Man in theaters I wasn't sure what exactly I thought. Considering I am not an avid watcher of Spike Lee movies (something I need to remedy) I didn't really have any preconceptions as to what I hoped he did or didn't do with the film. Perhaps it was a case of my expectations being too high with a cast like Denzel Washington and Clive Owen battling it out as Clive tries to rob a bank and Denzel tries to stop him. Either way, there was something about the movie that didn't exactly sit well, something that would have prevented me from giving the movie an "A" like the acting deserved. Instead it felt more like a "B" and while the DVD doesn't necessarily raise my grade it did allow for a much greater appreciation of the film.

First off this is a movie with acting power out the wazzoo. We have Denzel, Clive, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Chiwetel Ejiofor and even Willem Dafoe in a limited role. With Spike Lee directing that is a recipe for brilliance, especially considering everyone is at the top of their game in this movie. Actually, I am not sure this movie would have worked at all with any other cast. From Denzel on down Spike managed to find the perfect person to fill each pair of shoes, and as Spike tells us in his commentary, Jodie's decision to be made into a glamorous woman for this movie was spot on. He goes on to say how she was tired of playing the rundown woman and wanted to have her hair done and makeup on, and I must say this is the best I have ever seen her look. Just wait till Spike starts pointing out her legs.

On the male side, Denzel vs. Clive is a battle worth watching and then with a little bit of Christopher Plummer thrown in for good measure really adds to the tension. Inside Man takes the simple premise of robbing the bank and doesn't make it feel like it has been done before, it feels modern enough to call it unique and Spike didn't go over the top in any way, he kept it simple and that makes it far more intriguing.

As I said earlier, I was left wanting more when I saw this film in theaters, but thanks to a few comments from Spike in his commentary I grew to appreciate the film more. While he isn't exactly gregarious he does add some good insight as to why he cast certain people and why he did what he did in certain situations. On top of that, if you thought he would ever make a movie and forget to throw in a little bit of his own agenda you are dead wrong. If you have seen the film you will remember a scene where a young boy is playing an extremely violent videogame, Spikes commentary over this scene is quite funny. He places a lot of blame on gangster rap and says, "Make a comment on this bullshit, this gangsta rap infatuation with violence, that shit is just so dumb. It's stupid ignorant and ain't about shit... I'm not out to crucify 50 Cent, but Get Rich or Die Tryin'; that shit is pure genocide... I'm not on Interscope records so fuck 'em. I don't care. Jimmy Iovine does not own me." Like I said, he slips his agenda in there in a scene he admits was not scripted.

As for the rest of the special features there is a massive collection of deleted scenes, one that is a huge montage of interrogation scenes that never made the final cut, the others are your typical deleted/extended scenes. Then you have a making-of feature in which you get a rare glimpse at a script read through which actually made it a much better making-of than most and then finally there is a sit down with Denzel and Spike as they discuss the four films they have made together.

Overall I whole-heartedly recommend buying Inside Man. This is not something I would have said after watching it in theaters, but something about the fantastic opening, to the perfect cast to the tension throughout has me hooked.