The Inside Man

Denzel also seems to be getting younger every time I see him on screen these days...

I hired Cry Freedom the other day (I'm embarrassed to admit I'd never seen it) and Denzel looks the same age in the current trailers as in the DVD.

...what is he eating, lol?

I saw this last night and thought it was a good movie. This is saying a lot coming from a person who is not a big movie buff..

I thought it was . . . good, but not great. There were sizable holes in the plausability of the story which bug me. Over-all - I was very entertained, although I thought the story dragged a bit in the middle. I also thought the denoument - after the climax - was too drawn out and unclear.

What was the ultimate objective of the main bank robber? What was the point of the "gift" that he gave Denzel's character at the end? If he was trying to make a political statement through the entire effort - did he? Was he successful in making that statement? What did he get out of his effort? What was the point? Are we to speculate that there will be some future comeuppance that he will exact from the owner of the document?

I am unclear about these points.

I enjoyed this movie... bank robbery films have been done to death and if Denzel wasn't in it - and Spike Lee directing - I wouldn't have bothered. But... I thought it was different, fresh, and thankfully no Bruce Willis style 'breakout' bank film.

So... what holes MBM? there seemed to be a few inconsistencies, and continuity questions, but as friends and I chatted afterwards, most were cleared up and explained.

MBM to answer your questions - my 'take'...
<<< SPOILER ALERT >>>

I felt the main objective was reclaiming Jewish dignity and finance - some connection he had with the Rabbi, and having the 'document' was perhaps closure and evidence of past war crimes.

The point of the 'gift' was about respect... the priority of crime was committed about (lack of) respect - respect was important. The 'bankrobber' respected Denzel. The gift was to refute Denzel's comment about not having enough money to marry. Remember, the 'bankrobber' had said in their first meeting... that love had nothing to do with money. So, now Denzel had no 'excuse', infact he had the engagement ring...
.

How could I have forgotten to mention Denzel and THAT HAT! Ooh my...and that smooth way he turned down the rim...

sigh...

Life would be so wonderful if men wore hats instead of baseball caps!!
.

I agree with some of the things 'MBM' mentioned; and Mr. Denzel still managed to be quite sexy and witty, and suave, and that sexy walk, goodness! I swear I am not a huge fan of Denzel, but sometimes I look at him and say 'looking good' .....

One other thing, I also felt that 'the girlfriend' of Denzel was a useless character. She was very cute, shapely and so on; but couldn't they have had her ask him just one (intelligent)question about what was going on at work lol!

thank you nayo-i thought the same thing about the girlfriend! Overall i really liked the movie and was surprised at how it ended but i was left with questions after the movie similar to MBM but also others. Why did the accompliances help clive's character pull of this thing? I mean besides the rabbi for the obvious reason of the crime against his people, what else did the others gain out of doing this? what was there objective? they didn't get any money so i just don't see their motivation for it unless it was strictly out of friendship. or did i just miss that part or what? great directing on the part of spike-he has been my favorite director for a while. i also thought the video game thing was all him too.

SPOILERS INSIDE


QUOTE]Originally posted by msprettygirl:
thank you nayo-i thought the same thing about the girlfriend! Overall i really liked the movie and was surprised at how it ended but i was left with questions after the movie similar to MBM but also others. Why did the accompliances help clive's character pull of this thing? I mean besides the rabbi for the obvious reason of the crime against his people, what else did the others gain out of doing this? what was there objective? they didn't get any money so i just don't see their motivation for it unless it was strictly out of friendship. or did i just miss that part or what? great directing on the part of spike-he has been my favorite director for a while. i also thought the video game thing was all him too.[/QUOTE]



[I felt the main objective was reclaiming Jewish dignity and finance - some connection he had with the Rabbi, and having the 'document' was perhaps closure and evidence of past war crimes.

The point of the 'gift' was about respect... the priority of crime was committed about (lack of) respect - respect was important. The 'bankrobber' respected Denzel. The gift was to refute Denzel's comment about not having enough money to marry. Remember, the 'bankrobber' had said in their first meeting... that love had nothing to do with money. So, now Denzel had no 'excuse', infact he had the engagement ring...]]]]

I agree with what 'Art_Gurl' says here.

Indeed, there were a few plot holes, ie. the hole in the floor;guess that's how the 'others' got out, but no one found it?; the 'girlfriend' was 'cringe-worthy' yikes!; no bomb sniffing dogs, who could have discovered the inside man; the Albanian embassy confusion; what was that confrontation by 'Keith' of the mayor and Ms. White, in the restaurant (towards end of story) saying?

All in all I really enjoyed this movie; No condescension,but I was incredibly 'proud' of 'Spikes' cleverly placed subliminal messages, ie. the bow tie, the under the radar, witty racialist commentary, and that video game; also appreciated the 'trifecta' black male contribution of Washington, Spike Lee, and Chewitel Ejiofor (very handsome). Could Lee do a follow up to the 'Inside Man' maybe? I think it's possible. Bravo gentlemen. Also, I think Clive Owen is very sexy, mug face and all.

quote:

Indeed, there were a few plot holes, ie. the hole in the floor;guess that's how the 'others' got out, but no one found it?;

SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOILER ALERT!!

the hole in the floor was a toilet for the main man holed up behind the false wall. Noone found the hole, because the robbers left the false wall in place. I guess it didn't smell (too much) because the gravel they dug out of the hole would have been tipped back into it. They needed the 'time' to build the false wall. Remember the oblique comment when they dug the hole and saw the exposed sewer pipes and someone said "this looks like a beautiful sewer" or something similar. It was all about the false wall. I thought it was clever to open the scene with Clive inside it... and let everyone think he was in a prison cell... a subtle clue.

Everyone but the main robber got out when they ran into the street. That was why when separated and questioned by Denzel, there were photos of the robbery team mixed in with the staff and customers. It's only due to the speed and dressing everyone generically so quickly, that people didn't have time to remember who was who. My MAIN unanswered question is this: if the police had gone through and ticked off everyone who owned one of the mobile phones collected by the robbers and then eliminated their owners and staff memebers... then presto! who's left? the robbers.

quote:

Originally posted by nayo:
Mr. Denzel still managed to be quite sexy and witty, and suave, and that sexy walk, goodness! I swear I am not a huge fan of Denzel, but sometimes I look at him and say 'looking good' .....

I second that emotion!

Art Gurl, bravo, you saw it exactly the way I did. What they said about the hole when they saw the sewer pipe was " Nice shit hole". I also think it is left open to a 2nd movie. I also think that they all shared in the diamonds that were stolen, cause all of the diamonds from box 392 were gone except the ring.

When I saw it, I thought the hole was inside the bank - as opposed to in the room behind the wall.

quote:

Originally posted by nayo:
SPOILERS INSIDE


QUOTE]Originally posted by msprettygirl:
thank you nayo-i thought the same thing about the girlfriend! Overall i really liked the movie and was surprised at how it ended but i was left with questions after the movie similar to MBM but also others. Why did the accompliances help clive's character pull of this thing? I mean besides the rabbi for the obvious reason of the crime against his people, what else did the others gain out of doing this? what was there objective? they didn't get any money so i just don't see their motivation for it unless it was strictly out of friendship. or did i just miss that part or what? great directing on the part of spike-he has been my favorite director for a while. i also thought the video game thing was all him too.

[I felt the main objective was reclaiming Jewish dignity and finance - some connection he had with the Rabbi, and having the 'document' was perhaps closure and evidence of past war crimes.

The point of the 'gift' was about respect... the priority of crime was committed about (lack of) respect - respect was important. The 'bankrobber' respected Denzel. The gift was to refute Denzel's comment about not having enough money to marry. Remember, the 'bankrobber' had said in their first meeting... that love had nothing to do with money. So, now Denzel had no 'excuse', infact he had the engagement ring...]]]]

I agree with what 'Art_Gurl' says here.

Indeed, there were a few plot holes, ie. the hole in the floor;guess that's how the 'others' got out, but no one found it?; the 'girlfriend' was 'cringe-worthy' yikes!; no bomb sniffing dogs, who could have discovered the inside man; the Albanian embassy confusion; what was that confrontation by 'Keith' of the mayor and Ms. White, in the restaurant (towards end of story) saying?

All in all I really enjoyed this movie; No condescension,but I was incredibly 'proud' of 'Spikes' cleverly placed subliminal messages, ie. the bow tie, the under the radar, witty racialist commentary, and that video game; also appreciated the 'trifecta' black male contribution of Washington, Spike Lee, and Chewitel Ejiofor (very handsome). Could Lee do a follow up to the 'Inside Man' maybe? I think it's possible. Bravo gentlemen. Also, I think Clive Owen is very sexy, mug face and all.[/QUOTE]

I got that the main character wanted to recliam the dignity and finance of the Jewish community but I wasn't looking at it as being the motivation for the accompliances.

A 'jewish' mission [im]possible team, redressing some wrongs? In the Spike Lee/Washington sequel, a black team,of men and women of equal skills and daring, go after the money due us for reparations and the $$$$/notes taken from 'black wallstreets from around the U.S. during the turn of the century to the 1930's-40's! It will be called, 'The Brother Inside';a black man who works on Wallstreet along with a team of black international financiers, plot, to get our money!!! hah!