Inside Man is a 2006 crime-drama film directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Willem Dafoe and Jodie Foster. The film's screenplay was written by Russell Gewirtz and produced by Brian Grazer. It was released in North America and several European markets on March 23 and 24, 2006.
The film was shot on location in New York City and features an expansive and diverse ensemble cast. In addition to being a cerebral action-oriented thriller, the film handles issues of good and evil in unexpected sources, corruption, prejudice, multiculturalism in United States (and New York City in particular) post-September 11, 2001, and leaves several interpretations of right and wrong open to the audience.
The title comes from several meanings of the term "inside man" and therefore is a use of word play.
Plot
The film begins in medias res with Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) narrating his plight in the confines of an undisclosed cell, musing about the difference between a cell and a prison. Shortly afterwards, he begins in narration to describe the "perfect" plan for a bank robbery.[1]
The robbery begins in flashback as a group of robbers, dressed as painters and utilizing aliases under variants of the name "Steve," enter the bank, disable the security cameras, and take control of the bank. All customers and bank employees are herded into the basement, where they are forced to give up their keys and cell phones and change into painter uniforms and face masks identical to those of the robbers. They then lock the hostages into several rooms, periodically rotating them and introducing themselves among the hostages at various points.
Meanwhile, the police arrive and surround the bank. Detectives Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) and Bill Mitchell (Chiwetel Ejiofor) introduce themselves to Captain Darius (Willem Dafoe) and briefly discuss the situation. Russell demands that the police provide food, and they provide pizzas with bugs in the boxes. They overhear conversations in a language they eventually are able to identify as Albanian. Eventually, they discover that the conversations are in fact propaganda recordings of deceased Albanian Communist dictator Enver Hoxha, implying that the robbers knew or guessed at the attempted surveillance.
After being informed of the robbery in progress, Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer), chairman of the board of directors and founder of the bank, hires fixer Madeleine White (Jodie Foster) to try to arrange for the contents of his safe deposit box at the bank to remain secret. White meets with the mayor, then manipulates Frazier to let her talk to Russell. Mentioning the special interests she wants to protect, she persuades Russell to let her enter the bank to talk. When White requests access to the safe deposit box, Russell shows her a document bearing a swastika symbol, suggesting that Case received money, enough to found his bank, from the Nazis during World War II for unspecified services that resulted in Jewish deaths. Russell reveals his motivation, saying, "All lies they stink, you can cover them up for a while but they don't go away." After assuring Russell that Case will make him a very wealthy man if he destroys or covers up this document, White leaves.
Attempting a bluff, Frazier informs Russell that the plane he demanded is ready but he needs to know that all the hostages are safe before letting them leave. Russell allows him to enter the bank, and Frazier is given a tour of the building. As they check the hostages, they discuss the situation, and also Frazier's desire to propose to his girlfriend, something which Russell suggests he should do regardless of finances. Upon exiting the bank, Frazier attempts to overpower Russell, only to fail when another robber comes to Russell's aid. Russell still lets Frazier leave unharmed with seemingly no repercussion for his attack. Frazier tells his colleagues that he intentionally tried to provoke Russell, but as Russell did not harm him, he believes that Russell is not a killer. Soon after, the robbers call and direct the police to point their cameras to a specific window on the second floor where they show what appears to be the execution of a hostage. An enraged Frazier confronts Russell again, demanding to know the robbers' true intentions. Russell simply replies that Frazier is "too damn smart to be a cop" and closes the door on him.
The hostage incident prompts the ESU team into action, and they plan to raid the building, using rubber bullets to knock everyone out. Frazier, however, realizes that the written message Russell sent out has a transmitter inside it. He orders Captain Darius, in command of police on the scene, to recall his men, but Darius ignores him.
Inside the bank, Russell overhears the conversation between Darius and Frazier and is alarmed that the police plan to move in. The robbers detonate smoke bombs throughout the bank and release the hostages, leading to a horde of identically dressed people exiting through the smoke in a mass of confusion. The police detain and interrogate everyone. However, due to the robbers' earlier pretense in the bank, Frazier is unable to distinguish any of them from among the hostages, even Russell. The execution of a hostage is revealed to have been faked, the robbers' weapons turn out to be toys, and nothing appears to have been stolen, prompting Frazier's superiors to order him to bury the case.
Frazier, however, keeps searching the bank's records and finds that safe deposit box #392 has never appeared on any records since the bank's founding in 1948. He obtains a search warrant from a judge to open it. He is then confronted by White, who informs him of Case's dealings with the Nazis. She also tries to convince Frazier to drop his investigation, reminding him that she has held up her end of her deal with him (guaranteeing his promotion, and returning money he was implicated in stealing prior to the events of the movie). He refuses, pointing out that he has not agreed to such a deal, and plays back their earlier conversation from a secret audio recording pen, ensuring he is protected.
White confronts Case about his dealings with the Nazis, and he confesses everything to her. She correctly surmises that the safe deposit box must have contained diamonds and that these were the robbers' true objective; Case then specifies a Cartier ring, belonging to a Jewish friend whom he betrayed to the Nazis in exchange for money. He is remorseful for what he did, and had thus led a life of international philanthropy to try to assuage his guilt.
Russell's opening monologue is then repeated, but with the revelation that Russell is in fact hiding behind a fake wall erected inside the supply room. He emerges from his hiding place a week after the incident, with the contents of Case's safe deposit box (including the documents and a number of small bags of diamonds) in his bag. As he exits the bank, he deliberately bumps into Frazier, who does not recognize him. Russell's associates meet him in an SUV outside the bank, and after a brief check of their loot they find that the ring is missing. Russell, however, assures them that he has left it in the bank and that it is "in good hands."
Frazier opens the safe deposit box to find a pack of gum which Russell had offered to him while he was checking the hostages, along with the Cartier ring and a message: "Follow the ring." He confronts Case, informing him of his intention to investigate the ring. He finds White, telling her that the ring was linked to Case's past. He offers White the pen with the recording, and gives her a card for the Office of War Crimes Issues at the U.S. State Department, to request they look into the situation.
After his final encounter with White, Frazier goes home and finds a loose one-carat diamond in his pocket, realizing that it must have been slipped to him by the man he bumped into in the bank, who must have been Russell. As the movie ends, it is implied that Frazier will use the diamond to propose to his girlfriend.
Cast
Production
Originally Ron Howard was to direct the movie, but he backed out to do Cinderella Man. Spike Lee, a native New Yorker, was happy to direct a New York-based movie.[2]
Much of the filming of Inside Man was done in Lower Manhattan at or near 20 Exchange Place, off William Street and Wall Street and just blocks from the New York Stock Exchange and South Street Seaport. Over three-quarters of the film's stage work was completed in New York City, making the production eligible for the city's "Made in New York" incentives program.[3]
While not confirmed, there are interesting references to the classic Al Pacino bank robbery movie Dog Day Afternoon. That movie is mentioned once by name; in both movies a hostage is released for asthma-like distress; and actor Peter Gerety (Inside Man) bears a striking physical resemblance to actor Charles Durning (Dog Day Afternoon).
Soundtrack
Inside Man is the film score to the 2006 movie of the same name. It was composed by American jazz musician and composer Terence Blanchard with additional orchestration by soundtrack composer Howard Drossin.
Although not featured on the soundtrack album, the film prominently features a remix of the song "Chaiyya Chaiyya" (from the movie Dil Se), by A. R. Rahman with Panjabi MC called "Chaiyya Chaiyya Bollywood Joint".
Track listing
- Chaiyya Chaiyya (6:44)
- "Ten Thirty" (1:58)
- "Thrown a Bone" (2:36)
- "Steve Switcheroo" (1:35)
- "Dalton's World" (0:45)
- "357" (0:58)
- "392" (1:39)
- "2nd Floor Window" (0:46)
- "Defend Brooklyn" (1:17)
- "Food Chain" (1:11)
- "Above Your Pay Grade" (1:27)
- "Everything Hunky Dory" (1:29)
- "Frazier's Tour" (4:52)
- "Press Here to Play" (1:41)
- "Nothing Yet" (2:06)
- "Demands In Place" (1:00)
- "Here Lies Peter Hammond" (2:34)
- "Nazis Pay Too Well" (3:54)
- "Nice Talking to You" (1:18)
- "They Bugged Us" (1:45)
- "Hostage Takedown" (2:49)
- "Dr. Phil" (1:12)
- "Photo Ops" (2:00)
- "ESU Search" (1:26)
- "Dalton's Cell" (1:11)
- "Follow the Ring" (4:17)
- "Good and Ready" (2:20)
Reception
Inside Man earned acclaim from several well-known critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it currently stands with an 87% rating, making it "Certified Fresh".
It was named one of the 10 best films of 2006 by the American Film Institute. Director Kevin Smith listed Inside Man on his Top Ten List of 2006.
As of December 21, 2006, the film has grossed a total of US$88,513,495 in the United States box office and US$184,376,254 worldwide.[9] Inside Man was Spike Lee's most financially successful movie, and it led to many offers for the director to make more bank heist films.[10]
Possible sequel
Spike Lee and Brian Grazer are developing a sequel to Inside Man, scheduled for release in 2010.[11] Terry George, the screenwriter that wrote Hotel Rwanda, is currently writing the script. Spike Lee will reunite with the cast to direct the sequel. It has been confirmed that Denzel Washington and Clive Owen will return to portray their characters. It is unconfirmed if Jodie Foster's character will return in the sequel.[12]
References
External links
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