Inside Man is a tour-de-force robbery movie directed by the talented Spike Lee. This description, however, really does the film no justice., for Inside Man is more than simply a heist movie. It’s a layered thriller with clever turns and fantastic characters. While Spike is the obvious orchestrator of the performances and picture itself, the screenplay is an excellent piece of story crafting. The film also features a wonderful score by regular Spike collaborator Terrance Blanchard.

I don’t want to give anything, so I will be careful in giving any more description. All I will say is that the film in a non-linear, bank-robber caper wherein the robbers have put together a heist that has everyone guessing, even the hostages. Clive Owen stars as the lead burglar, while Denzel Washington is the hostage negotiator brought in resolve the situation. Jodie Foster plays a third wheel thrown into the mix by a board member of the bank, and all the characters interact as though they are in control, when in fact, none of them are—well, one might be.

I really dug Inside Man. It was a good flic from Spike and a solid thriller overall. While the ending seems to drag, the bulk of the movie is near perfect genre fair, with all the elements of the film—the acting, the cinematography, the sound—coming together rather well. I really dug it, and I look forward to seeing it again, just to catch the many, many things I am sure I missed.

I am giving The Inside Man a very solid5. It’s not one of the best genre pictures I’ve ever seen,but it is in the upper echelons of heist movies, and I totally dig it.