This crime thriller says red herring all over. Spike Lee, veteran director of 25 films, including Jungle Fever (1991) and Malcolm X (1992) where he first worked with Denzel Washington. They were reunited again for this film, following the ingenious bank robbery with the ultimate goal going past money and riches, but into moral beliefs.

Everything within the film runs smoothly. Sequences intertwine like building blocks, seperated by random interviews at a police station. These breaks are not meant to solely disrupt the film. They provide Lee an excuse to fast forward time, as well as provide some comedy relief within the seriousness of the seige. These scenes are delineated from the main timeline by adding a sepia tone to the feed.

Spike did not under or over indulge himself on big name stars. Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Willem Dafoe and Jodie Foster star as the biggest names, with secondary perforances for Chiwetel Ejiofor and Christopher Plummer. The actors, although known, are not as mainstream as some of the directors options, but never-the-less, they provide an exempilary performance.

Highly recommended for those looking for a clever criminal thriller, and although the ending is seen at the beginning, Inside Man leaves you wandering how Clive Owen defeated New Yorks finest.