Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) is a man with a plan - to execute the perfect bank heist. Storming a Manhattan branch with three other accomplices, he gets into a cat and mouse game with police negotiator Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) who is battling his own problems. Adding fuel to this fire is the mysterious Madeline White (Jodie Foster) who has her own ideas about who’s going to walk out with what they want.

Russell has everything planned to perfection - from the disguise as painters, to the technical wizardry, to taking everyone hostage and dressing everyone in the same outfit as what the robbers are wearing. It’s hard to tell who’s who, which is precisely the confusion that Russell wants to create.

Inside Man is Spike Lee’s latest directorial outing and probably his most commercial. Driven by a clever script, which could have degenerated into the typical bank robber movie, it has moments of great humour as well. Lee delivers the required tension between the characters with ease - although sometimes you feel he’s got the paint-by-numbers sheet handy. The story moves along well and at times is intercut with future action of the detectives still trying to figure out what’s going on. Dalton Russell’s plan is working perfectly.

What delivers this movie from mediocrity is the great performances of all involved. The moments between bank robber Dalton and detective Frazier are intense and exciting - Owen and Washington are simply magnetic. Up and coming star Chiwetel Ejiofor plays detective Frazier’s partner, Bill Mitchell, and although he’s not given much to do he really shines in the scenes interviewing the hostages. Jodie Foster infuses her character with a real drive and confidence which you can’t take your eyes off and Christopher Plummer and Willem Dafoe round out a cast of characters that can’t be faulted.

Inside Man is a cleverly written, engaging film which rises above its counterparts. Lee manages to inject his usual salient social commentary about racism and community but never gets heavy handed. It’s worth watching for the engaging script and the performances of all involved.

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