Tonight, I caught Inside Man, the newest "Spike Lee Joint" about a bank heist starring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, and Jodie Foster. Before going into the theater, I was thinking to myself, "Spike Lee does a suspense movie? This is going to be odd."
Not so odd, as it turned out, because it really wasn't a suspense movie. The heist was clever. The characters were interesting. But there was no suspense. And it didn't really seem like there was supposed to be, as the "main storyline" was intercut with "suspect interrogations" from a point in the future after the conclusion of the heist.
As with other Spike Lee films, it was all about the character details. Minor characters of little real importance to the plot were given "moments" on screen, and sometimes interesting stories to tell. Then there was Jodie Foster's character, which just screamed, "I am a character, people. Watch me now as I munch on some scenery." Not that she overdid it; the part was simply written that way.
Ultimately, the film was good, but not great. I give it a B, and my endorsement. I suspect many of you will like it. It's just that, at the same time, I'm not really suggesting this is a film you should rush out to see, as the incredibly high score over on Rotten Tomatoes might lead you to believe.
No comments:
Post a Comment