Inside Man (2006)

A police detective, a bank robber, and a high-power broker enter high-stakes negotiations after the criminal's brilliant heist spirals into a hostage situation.

Director:

Spike Lee

Writer:

Russell Gewirtz

Stars:

Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster

6 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Denzel Washington	...	Detective Keith Frazier
Clive Owen	...	Dalton Russell
Jodie Foster	...	Madeleine White
Christopher Plummer	...	Arthur Case
Willem Dafoe	...	Captain John Darius
Chiwetel Ejiofor	...	Detective Bill Mitchell
Carlos Andrés Gómez	...	Steve
Kim Director	...	Stevie
James Ransone	...	Steve-O
Bernie Rachelle	...	Chaim (as Bernard Rachelle)
Peter Gerety	...	Captain Coughlin
Victor Colicchio	...	Sergeant Collins
Cassandra Freeman	...	Sylvia
Peter Frechette	...	Peter Hammond
Gerry Vichi	...	Herman Gluck

Storyline

From a cell, a man tells us he has planned the perfect bank robbery; he invites us to watch. An efficient gang enters a Manhattan bank, locks the doors, and takes hostages. They work deliberately, without haste. Detective Frazier is assigned to negotiate, but half his mind is occupied with the corruption charges he is facing. The bank's president has something to protect in a safe deposit box, so he brings in Madeleine White, a high-power broker with a hidden agenda. With an army of police surrounding the bank, the thief, the cop, and the plutocrat's fixer enter high-stakes negotiations. Why are the robbers asking for a plane, if they are so competent and they know they won't get one? Why aren't they in more of a hurry? If the job's perfect, why is the thieves' leader in a cell?

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Plot Keywords:

hostage | bank | robber | negotiation | detective | 

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Taglines:

It looked like the perfect bank robbery. But you can't judge a crime by its cover.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some violent images

Details

Official Sites:

UIP [Germany] Universal [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Albanian Spanish

Release Date:

24 March 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Inside Man - L'homme de l'intérieur

Filming Locations:

Exchange Place, Lower Manhattan, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$45,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,806,854 (UK) (24 March 2006)

Gross:

$88,504,640 (USA) (30 June 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Spike Lee, he and Willem Dafoe met in the men's room during the intermission of the play 'Julius Caesar', in which Denzel Washington appears. As they were standing side by side in the men's room, Spike said: "We should work together" and Dafoe replied: "Yeah, Spike, we should" and that was it. Later on, Spike sent him the script.

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Goofs

When the NYPD ESU is initially setting up around the bank at 20 Exchange Place, Manhattan, FDNY Engine 332 arrives on the scene. FDNY Engine Company 332 is based in Brooklyn, on Bradford St., not Manhattan.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dalton Russell: My name is Dalton Russell. Pay strict attention to what I say because I choose my words carefully and I never repeat myself. I've told you my name: that's the Who. The Where could most readily be described as a prison cell. But there's a vast difference between being stuck in a tiny cell and being in prison. The What is easy: recently I planned and set in motion events to execute the perfect bank robbery. That's also the When. As for the Why: beyond the obvious financial motivation...

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Crazy Credits

All leading and supporting actors as well as some of the minor characters are credited with a picture of each at the beginning of the end credits.

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Connections

References Hold-Up (1985)

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Soundtracks

Freeze
Written by Ayodele Olatunji
Performed by Jon Tue, Ayodele Olatunji
Courtesy of Soundspeeds

User Reviews

Intelligent thrills

A pleasure from start to finish. An older Denzel Washington has begun to emerge, and his performance here suggests he has many good years left. Clive Owen is terrific as the mastermind. He, and the plot, keeps you guessing. And while there are plenty of clues, they are so well incorporated that very few viewers will see how this one comes together in the end.

One major quibble: Jodie Foster's character is more archetype than person so it's to her credit that she pulls it off as well as it does. However, don't let that deter you from enjoying one of the best movies of the year. I'm glad to see Spike Lee tackle another genre film. He brings a re-invigorating approach to what, in other hands, would be a tiresome rehash. That liveliness seems to have worked on him, too -- this is his best film in several years.