INSIDE MAN

US, 2006, 129 minutes, Colour.
Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe, Chiwitel Ejiofor.
Directed by Spike Lee.

A thriller that keeps the interest until the end.

From the very start, Clive Owen looks out at us from the screen and explains himself: the who, the what, the why of a bank robbery – he did it because he could. We then see the how – but, like the hostage negotiator sent to deal with the robbers, Denzel Washington, we miss a lot of the clues as to what is really happening. What looks like a straightforward and elaborate siege with demands for a plane to escape (in the Dog Day Afternoon vein), in fact turns out to be quite something else. It is worth paying attention.

It is something of a surprise to see Spike Lee directing a mainstream thriller with a top cast which includes Jodie Foster as the coolest and most calculating of power brokers, Christopher Plummer as the wealthy bank owner, Willem Dafoe as a police chief and Chiwetel Eijiofor as Washington’s right hand man. They all perform convincingly and are given strong and clever dialogue by first time writer, Russell Gewirtz.

Lee is best known for his dramas which highlight race tensions in the US, Do the Right Think and Malcolm X. Not that this film ignores these issues. Every so often, a character will make a blatantly racist remark about African Americans and Hispanics. The police think that everyone who is dark is an Arab and, potentially a terrorist, and they have no idea what a Sikh is or what respect Sikhs need, especially with their turbans. And, is it calculated that Jodie Foster’s supremely WASP character is named ‘Miss White’?

While the film takes place over some hours and much of the action is confined to the bank or to the vans housing the police, it is still a big scale film and moves with great pace – Lee filmed with two cameras in all scenes, giving him a wide range of choice for shots for the editing, giving it more intensity.

During the action, we keep pace with Washington’s understanding to what is going on, even though he generally gets there before us. The device of flash-forwarding shots of Washington and Eijiofor interrogating hostages after their release leads to both puzzles and tensions during the siege.

Owen comes on at the end to describe his perfect crime. With all the attention to detail, to the anticipation of the police action (for instance, that they have taping devices concealed with the food sent in and so Owen plays tapes of the Albanian president’s speeches to mislead), the screenplay keeps us involved. The final outcome also raises a number of historical, social and international political issues.

1.An entertaining and impressive thriller? Bank robbery? Twists?

2.The work of Spike Lee, his not being in the mainstream? His concern about social and race issues? The insertion of dialogue about race issues here?

3.A well-crafted film from the mainstream, stylish? Pace, complexity, the puzzle? Continued interest?

4.The strong cast and the prestige?

5.A New York story, the interiors of the banks, the reception, the vaults? Boardrooms? Hotels? The police vans? The streets? The authentic atmosphere? Musical score – dramatic and melodramatic?

6.Clive Owen as the mastermind? The opening and the close-up? His talking to the audience, explaining himself, the situation, who, the what, the why? His challenging the audience? The clues? Audiences missing out on the meaning of the clues? The irony of his comment about prison? His being in the vault for a week? His speaking to the audience at the end? Reiterating what he originally said? His achievement? The perfect crime and walking out free?

7.The title and its reference to the mastermind? As a character in himself, strength of character, the selection of his team, collaborating with them, using the name and variations of Steve? The meticulous plan? It being revealed that he organised a façade in the vault so that he could stay hidden for the week? The team wearing the masks, the overalls? The phone calls, his ability to mislead the authorities, his planting the eavesdropping device and their not realising it until late? With the hostage negotiator? The violent treatment and the strong stances with the hostages? The irony of his not taking the money? Going to box 392, the contents, the diamonds, the ring? His discussions with the negotiator? Welcoming him in, the tour of the bank? His discussions with Miss White, a match of wits? His realising that the bank was to be attacked, sending all the hostages out dressed in the same overalls? Everybody escaping? The week passing and his walking out free? Bumping into the negotiator, the irony of slipping the diamond into his pocket? His motivations, the fact that the robbery could be done, the link with the rabbi, the Jewish issues?

8.Denzel Washington as the negotiator? A strong character, at work, the accusation about the missing money? His talking with his girlfriend on the phone? Her wanting to marry? The domestic touch, the later phone call, the ending and his going home to her, thinking about marriage, finding the diamond? His assistant, reliance on him, their working together? His being accused, but given the new job, taking it seriously? Going to the police chief, memories of the past, the clashes? The chief deferring to him? His not having a plan, waiting to see what the criminals did, his capacity for negotiation? The echoes of Dog Day Afternoon? The demand for the plane? His eventually realising that this was not what they wanted? That the mastermind had been channelling their attention where he wanted it? His wanting to take an initiative? The phone calls and waiting, the encounters, the tough stances? Bringing the food – and bugging the food? The irony of hearing the speeches, the Albanian president? The worker brought in, his knowing it was Albanian but not understanding it, his ex-wife being called, her wanting to get free from parking tickets, her laughter, the irony of her identifying what the tape was? The hostages coming out, the interrogations? His going in after Miss White went in, not being able to get out of her what she was after? The encounters with the bank owner, the puzzle? His going into the bank, meeting the mastermind, the tour, seeing the hostages, everything explained? The realisation that there would be an attack, his trying to stop it? The realisation that all their plans had been overheard, stopping the attack, all the hostages coming out? The interviews? His continued pursuit of an idea after he was told to drop the case? Going to the judge, opening the box in the bank, finding the ring? The message that he should follow the ring? The encounter with the bank owner, the cat-and-mouse game, the threats? His going home, finding the diamond – and pursuing the case? The mayor, the bribe for him to become a senior detective?

9.Christopher Plummer as the bank owner, his age and experience, receiving the news? His discretion? Phoning Miss White, the conversation, the negotiations with her, the deal? His going to the site, offering to help? The information about him, the visualising of him in Switzerland during the war, with the Nazis? The issue of his collaboration, greed, building his empire? Coming back to the US, founding the bank? Exploiting his situation – and the ring of his friend whom he betrayed? The irony of his statement that he was wanting to make reparation all his life? Miss White, her realisation of some of the truth, the clash? His dismissal of the negotiator – but would he be pursued?

10.Miss White, the WASP archetype? Negotiator, no holds barred, smooth in style, her manner, her clothes? Her skills? The discussions with the bank owner? The deal, discretion, getting the contents of the box? The discussions with the mayor, in public, in private and his swearing at her? Her fundraising activities and making demands on the mayor? Going to the site of the robbery? In the car, with the negotiator, trying to do a deal? Exercising her power and influence? Going into the bank, talking with the mastermind, their verbal fencing? The later dinner with the mayor, the information from the negotiator, the confrontation with the bank owner?

11.The hostages, the scenes in the bank where business was as normal, the woman talking on the mobile phone, the boy with his game (and the mastermind later criticising him for playing such a bloodthirsty game and the irresponsibility of his father)? The ordinary people, the staff? The skill of the robbers coming in disguised as painters? Knocking out the surveillance cameras – and the police trying to work out how this had happened? The guns, people lying on the floor, going to the vaults, taking off their clothes, the hysterical woman refusing, everyone putting on the uniform overalls and masks? The people who criticised being taken away separately? Treated brutally? The various people that were let out, the interviews, the Sikh and his comment about race and prejudice? Everybody coming out at the end, criminals and hostages alike?

12.The insertion of the interviews throughout the film, the flash-forwards? The different colour style? The negotiator and his assistant, their techniques in interviewing people, kindly with the embarrassed lady, the discussions with the Sikh about prejudice, his turban, race issues – and the police not being able to tell an Arab from a Sikh and assuming all were terrorists? The atmosphere after September 2001? The surly people, the ordinary characters? Everyone under suspicion? The interviewing of one of the real criminals? The interview with the rabbi? His hearing aid – and audiences sympathetic for him?

13.The rabbi, his presence, the interview, his wanting compassion, not knowing anything? The irony that he was behind the whole plot, the conspiracy, waiting in the car for the mastermind to come out?

14.New York City, race issues, the Sikh, Arabs and terrorists, the joke about it easy for a Sikh to get a cab in New York?

15.The Jewish issues, the Nazi issues? Sixty years after the events? Hidden wealth? Reclaiming it? Following the trail for the traitors? And the exploiters?

16.The police chief, his attitude, collaboration with the negotiators, his using his ingenuity? The various authorities? The policeman who discovered the robbery going on, his quick action – but his later prejudice with the negotiator and his being rebuked? The tactics, the communications? The authorities and the decision to attack the bank?

17.The negotiator’s girlfriend, the ordinary background of life in New York City? The end, the sexy touches, the phone calls, the diamond?

18.A credible story, using the conventions of the thriller genre? Effective as entertainment? Thoughtful?