Amazon.co.uk Review
An intelligent thriller with a healthy few twists up its sleeve, The Inside Man marks strong, although hardly career-best, work from all concerned.
The plot is simple, and hardly fresh. On one side, you have a sophisticated team who walk into a bank, take everyone hostage and issue demands. On the other, you have a team of cops trying to apprehend those responsible and get the hostages out safely. In the middle, you have the owner of the bank, who's willing to bring in a bit of extra help to get the situation resolved. And yet what could have been a standard two-dimensional Hollywood blockbuster gets brains and substance thanks to those in front of and behind the camera.
The talent in front is led by a consummate Denzel Washington, as the cop leading the situation. Then there's the increasingly impressive Clive Owen and the always-excellent Jodie Foster, with sterling support from the likes of Christopher Plummer and Willem Dafoe.
Behind the camera, much has been made of the fact that this is the least Spike Lee-like film that Spike Lee has directed, yet that misses the point. The Inside Man sees a skilful, diligent and clever director utterly comfortable with what's going on, and wringing out plenty from the simple premise.
It's not a flawless film by any means: the last reel doesn't quite match up to what preceded it, and the script doesn't really get you near the skin of the characters (even if it does serve up some delicious, not entirely expected moments). Yet as heist movies go, this is one of the better examples of recent times, with plenty of reasons to recommend it. --Simon Brew
Customer Reviews:
[3.5]--Solid heist thriller that puts a new spin on the familiar tale.......2007-11-26
`Inside Man' is a good film. It's essentially a standard hostage situation thriller that wasn't over the top. From the moment it begins, there is clearly an urban vibe; the shots of Manhattan, not to mention the movie being billed as "A Spike Lee joint" give it a grittier tone. Do not let these minor touches fool you; as the movie progresses, it helps to not go in with preconceived notions of the typical Spike Lee movie. The camera shot changes every five seconds. Normally this would just annoy me, but the editor managed to do this without wasting a single one of those five second shots, and with great accompanying music it was actually one of my favorite opening sequences ever.
Clive Owen is great as, a "not your everyday bank robber," he's becoming one of my favorite actors. Denzel Washington played the lead role of the perceptive (if slightly jaded) police-detective. He gives us an incredibly performance in spite of the fact that he's playing a cop for what seams like the 11th time in his past 12 films. It's an interesting story with some decent twists and better than average dialogue. Jodie Foster is disappointingly underused as Madeline, so to with Christopher Plummer as Arthur. Willem Dafoe flounders in the background, it looks like he doesn't know why he's there. Chiwetel Ejiofor delivers one of the better performances, yet not his best from his other recent film. The dialogue in the movie is good. There's some humorous and great lines that come out of the character's mouths.
What I liked about Inside Man was the style it was made. It is choppy, but not so much, you get a sense of tension, and it seems very high paced. The plot is good, and very intriguing. There are some things you have to figure out throughout the film, which makes it more interesting. My only problem was that after the bank robbery was over, the film continued for another half hour, and it started to drag a bit.
Aside from minor problems it's a safe bet if you want an enjoyable film and one of Spike Lee's finest.
Very different.......2007-11-25
Not your average bank heist thriller. The story line keeps you guessing and even when you think you have a grip on what's happened, there's a sting in the tail.
The main cast are excellent, but for me, the script was spoiled by unnecessary swearing.
Definitely recommended if you are a fan of any of the leads, or the crime heist genre.
How people can not like this film... I do not know.......2007-11-16
I am mystified why people don't all give this film 5 stars. It is a clever plot, that few would guess, and a film where you look at each other when it ends, and say. So that's what happened... but what about... and how did that... and was he....
I loved it. I also thought it was pretty original, having never seen a film quite like it.
I don't think it is the strongest acting that Denzil, willem, jodie or clive have ever done, but hey they each have some amazing performances between them. It is the script that makes this film stand out, well performed by a strong team, without exceptional standout performances, but hey that is no bad thing.
Just Sit Back, and try and predict what is going to happen, it is a hell of a ride!
SPIKE GETS IT RIGHT!!!!!!!.......2007-09-28
Saw this film on a whim really and am extremely pleased that I did. I was entertained throughout and spent most the film trying to guess the next move. Washington and Owen are excellent in the quirky kind of roles we've seen them in before; Foster plays a ever-so-slightly unusual character for her and whilst she's good, she didn't convince me of the pit-bull persona to 100%. Spike Lee throws in just enough of an element of social history & conscience to add an extra dimension to the plot and elevate this above being a just a `good' heist film. Thoroughly recommend adding this one to your selection, I just can't get rid of a nagging thought in the back of my head that I've seen the twist at the end somewhere before... hmmm.
Just another average hollywood picture.......2007-09-06
This is the kind of film that would come and go without a second glance if not for the big names in the cast. I think Denzel is great and will watch him in just about anything, but overall the acting is pretty average. the story so so - a silly ending but quite clever. Yes Jodie Foster's character could have been removed with no noticable difference except a tighter and better running time. Oh and the hole in the floor of the bank was so he had a toilet to use during the week (tapped into the sewer)...
Rent it, watch it, send it back, carry on with life. C'est la vie - that's Hollywood for you!
Customer Reviews:
Presence.......2008-02-18
Where did they get a film like this from. It is truly magic. Forget James McAvoy as being the stand out. Steven Robertson gives a performance that in my opinion deserves a BAFTA. I have never seen this actor before. I was rivited by his performacne. Top film.
Funny, original, sad, brilliant.......2007-08-16
After I crashed my car, my girlfriend thought she would put this on and make me laugh. It did but then I cried for a very long time throughout(the shock from the crash may also have affected me) . I thought the two performances by the central characters were very convincing and it had a good mix of humour, sadness and an interesting enough plot to keep you immersed in the film. Whether it represents factually what goes in real life, is not an issue; that's what documentaries are for. This is superb cinema and an unusual tale in today's mediocrity. If you want to watch something a little different, then get this and enjoy. It should make you appreciate life in the same way that 'My Left Foot' does. Or maybe that was the car crash affecting ma heid.
A great little film, fresh, funny and perceptive........2007-05-22
Inside I'm Dancing is the story of two young men with disabilities, who meet in a nursing home. One, isolated by a speech impairment, has been rejected by his family, because he is not perfect, and has been institutionalised. The other has Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, and has fought to retain his independence despite his progressive disability.
The two men become somewhat unlikely friends and together decide they want to try and secure supported independent living, in the teeth of opposition from almost everyone around them.
If I say that the film is about their anger and frustration, their fears and dreams, then, despite the fact that it would all be true, it would make the film sound more than a little "worthy", which it isn't.
It is lively, warm, funny and honest. None of the characters are entirely likeable, and are all the more real for that.
I have to admit to feeling uncomfortable initially about the fact that non-disabled actors were cast; it did feel odd to me, given that there are so many good disabled actors crying out for work, but I can't fault the central performances, which were insightful and rounded pieces of acting.
Definitely worth a view.
Typical.......2006-12-29
Yeah it's great if you're ignorant about disabilities, it will open your eyes and hopefully wipe away some of that prejudice that you conjured up from not finding out the truth in the first place. It's very much a "just because he's disabled it doesn't mean..." kind of story, and when i say story well there's not really much of a story to it. I found this film insulting my intelligence. I have to disagree with those who found it heartwarming. It critisised the support given to disabled persons, however it showed these people to be very rude towards those giving the support - this in my opinion does not warrant kindness in return so I did not warm to either of the main characters. It does have some convincing acting, the disabilities seem real and you do get a good taste for what it is like to be disabled. Overall however, I found it rather poor.
Great film.......2006-02-19
I showed this film to a group of disaffected teenagers and they loved it. Should be required watching for anyone who thinks having speech difficulties makes you less intelligent or that disabled people deserve nothing more than to sit and watch tv (you know who you are). The patronising social work team were just right and both the actors who played the disabled main parts were excellent. I'm going to buy it today - and I've already seen it several times.
Customer Reviews:
great dvd.......2007-07-06
this is great. you need to watch this. my personal favorite is how he makes money from the bookies with loosing tickets. then when he tells one of them they are soooo shocked. definetly worth the watch
Customer Reviews:
A bit disappointing........2007-11-10
I was really looking foward to this but sadly was very disappointed.
I feel that the 1997 Living with Lions DVD really sets the bench mark for this type of sports documentary and i feel that Sweet Chariot 2 short changes us somewhat.
On the positive side it was fascinating to see the chagning room footage of the SA tour and the army training. it was also a good insight to the team meetings.
However, we should been given a greater insight into the players and coaches and got to know them better, apart from the decent featurette on David Strettle we barely get to see any of the players (unless you count the featurette on wilkinson who is probably the most uninteresting of the lot).
Where are the characters? Where are the views of Moody, Faz, Chuter et al? Where are the new boys, Tait, Flood, Geraghty?
Ashton features quite heavily but what about Wells and Rowntree?
Compared to the original sweet chariot we see nothing of the physios. Although there is plenty of the team doctor, which is very interesting, more day to day training and medical prep could have been shown.
I think what im trying to say is that i can't believe that with 8 months worth of footage this is all they have to show for it!
Very good Royal Marines footage but again i just feel a bit short changed as it's only Dallaglio interviewed, we've listened to him for 12 years, lets hear what the others have to say!
Lets hope the World cup dvds, soon to be launched, have some meatier content.
Solid & honest documentary .......2007-10-11
Many sports documentaries act almost as previews to up and coming tournaments and have a propaganda style quality to them. What I found quite refreshing about Sweet Chariot 2 was the honesty and detail contained within the dressing room conversations and interviews with Brian Ashton among others.The detail is really impressive without seeming artificial and should England defy all critics and shock the World in France 2007 it may stand as a real testament to them. As an ESRC member I guess I would say that, but compared to England soccer equivalents (Graham Taylor & Phil Neal et.al in the nineties) it is way ahead.
Sweet goodness.......2007-09-11
Sweet goodness sums it up! A brilliant DVD that every sports fan should see. It gives you a view of English rugby that i have never seen before, well worth a watch
Great documentary and insight into the England rugby team!!.......2007-09-10
I watched this on the weekend as a preview to England's opening game and it gave me a great insight into how the team have been preparing over the last year. The interviews and thoughts from the players are really interesting and it is brilliant to see the behind the scenes footage of what really went on. I would recommend this to any rugby fan and is a fantastic DVD to watch, especially as the World Cup is underway. COME ON ENGLAND!!!
Best Rugby DVD in a long time .......2007-09-07
I thought that this DVD was excellent - it's a great watch, and really gets in there with the England Rugby Team. A good documentary like this just adds even more excitement to the World Cup. I can safely say I have know idea what DVD Grayzbeer from Switzerland was watching, but it couldn't have been this one??!! If you area true England rugby fan you will love it.
Customer Reviews:
Not a patch on 1997 or 2001.......2006-03-15
Having collected the magnificent DVD on the 1997 Lions tour and the very good one from 2001 I was looking forward to seeing what happened 'inside the Lions Den'. I was disappointed to say the least.
Contrary to the suggestion that Kiwis might enjoy this DVD, I can assure you as a Kiwi that I did not. The Lions are my second favourite international team behind the All Blacks but I got nothing out of this awful, tedious documentary.
Never mind, I can always put in the 1997 DVD and watch Jim Telfer's speech to the forwards before the third test. Hair-raising stuff!
Not bad if you are a kiwi.......2006-01-04
Lets face it, If Woodworm had lived up to his own hype and won a game this video would have been a best seller in the UK. He didn't and so everyone is watching Freddie Flintoff over coronation turkey.
Whilst this is not as good a video as the Australian tour it is insightfull on how not to run a rugby tour. Anyone that watches this dvd will understand exactly why the Lions were so bad, top heavy on management and thin on substance.
Watching Clive say the tour was a success was priceless and worth sitting through the fill in bits.
Inside a Disappointment.......2005-12-28
After watching the buying the 2001 video i was really looking forward to watching this one. right from the start the dvd lacked any of the passion of the previous two.(i have not watched the 1997 one). the narration immediately put me off. the lack of an insiders view from the players was the real disappointment. it was really only Donnacha O' Calaghan who kept the film going with some of his wit and charm.
one think to say.......2005-11-27
when i watch telfer speak before the tests in 1997 the hair would go up on my neck, when i listen to jono in 2001 i had the same afect when they lost...... the feeling that i got from this tour was that every where the film crew went the bill bomount would follow with a sign behind them reading "look happy, show those perly white teeth now" what a crying shame. worst that the tour!
sorry don't buy this!.......2005-11-16
Being a huge fan of Lions rugby (I'm Irish) i wholeheartedly looked forward to this DVD......what a disappointment, not only from the point of view of the series itself, but of the actual content that is in the DVD.
All I can say is that it is in my opinion a complete waste of money, it would be less than a star if I could figure out how to do it!!!
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic.......2007-06-07
What can I say that hasn't already been said? Brillant,great,superb DVD sound and quality,first class from start to end.Been an Eagles fan since the start and Don Henley is at his absolute best here.Read the other reviews and didn't hesitate to buy,they all got it spot on,get this DVD and treat yourself to something special.
Absolutely Brilliant ( but lose the haircut Don).......2004-10-03
Don Henley's voice is at least as good now as it was back in those heady days in the 70's when he contributed so much to the definitive Eagles sound.
This DVD shows that Don has retained his unique vocal tone and over the years experience has now added the self-assurance and ease of delivery common to the great voices of recent times.
The Dallas concert captured includes songs from all of the solo albums together with three Eagles classics - Desperado, The Long Run and Hotel California.
The sound quality and musicianship are superb and the camera work gives the show a very intimate feel.
Henley shows his adaptability in delivering rockers like They're Not Here, They're Not Coming equally as well as ballads such as Desperado and Talking to the Moon.
If you liked the Eagles, you simply must have this DVD and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
The only reason for not giving 5 stars is
a) Don's rather severe haircut (he obviously upset his stylist that night); and
b) the ska reworking of Hotel California (did not work for me I'm afraid).
However don't let either of these minor irritations worry you because this is definitely one of the best music DVD's you will find.
HENLEY DOES THE EAGLES AND A WHOLE LOT MORE.......2003-08-24
This is a must have DVD which grabs you by the shorts at the opening and leaves you begging for more at the end. From the smooth ballads to the rock orientated riffs, this DVD is Henley at his best. The vocals have matured over a 30 year period and are now at their cutting edge best. Listen to New York Minute with your eyes shut and you can feel the power of the vocal move you to the core. Superb. An eclectic mix of old and new material (from the excellent inside job album) is rounded off in spectacular fashion. Imaging the gaul of the guy. A ska orientated version of Hotel California - scarilidge I here you cry!. Not a chance, it is the highlight of the set, with the horn section used to improvise the guitar solo. Absolutely superb. You gotta buy this one, but be warned it is not easy to find (speaks volumes doesn't it..) BUY IT!!!!!
Superb.......2002-07-22
I have been a fan of the Eagles for years and so I thought I would try Don Henleys DVD.This man has the most amazing voice I have ever heard. The quality of the tracks and the sound alone justify the price. If you like the Eagles then I am telling you. " Dont hesitate and bye this DVD" You will not be disappointed. I promise.
Just buy it, you won't regret it for one moment........2001-11-09
This DVD is all about quality. The quality of the picture, the quality of the backing band, the quality of the songs, and, most importantly, the quality of Don Henley's vocals. PERFECT.
Customer Reviews:
who am I ???.......2007-05-13
This film is similar to Identity, written by the same writer. So if you liked that you'll like this as it follows the same sort of X-Files type puzzler where not all the pieces are laid out for you and you have to fit it all together yourself - like the jigsaw on the cover.
Almost good; almost great.......2006-01-25
This film kicks off at a pace drawing in the viewer to Ryan Phillipe's world: who am I? what happened to my brother? what am I doing here? Set in a dour hospital with unsmiling workers and visitors; its intriguing enough. But the finale is a massive let-down ... Even lots of sterling Brit actors cannot save the denouement undoing the good work (direction and tension) and ruining the viewers' investment in this suspended reality. Feels like the writer was fired two weeks before filming ended ! Shame, almost a great art-house find.
GOOD FILM.......2005-05-01
If you liked butterfly effect, maybe even trauma, then you will love this film. Thoroughly enjoyable and well worth a watch.
UK DVD:
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- Karen Voight: Ultimate Step Circuit [2005] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Keli Roberts: Step it Strong (REGION 1) (NTSC)
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