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"INSIDE MAN" (2006) (Denzel Washington, Clive Owen) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild Moderate Extreme Moderate Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild None Heavy Mild Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Mild Minor Moderate Heavy QUICK TAKE: Drama/Suspense: A veteran hostage negotiator tries to resolve a Manhattan bank robbery where the heist might be about something more than just money and hostages. PLOT: When Dalton Russell (CLIVE OWEN) and his small team of bank robbers -- who all go by variations of "Steve" -- take over the Manhattan Trust Bank and announce their robbery, the NYPD led by Captain John Darius (WILLEM DAFOE) immediately springs into action. As does hostage negotiator Detective Keith Frazier (DENZEL WASHINGTON) and his partner Detective Bill Mitchell (CHIWETEL EJIOFOR). With Russell and his crew seemingly plotting to pull off the perfect bank robbery -- which includes dressing all of the bank employees and customers in costumes identical to theirs -- Frazier, who's suspected of possibly being involved in a large sum of missing money, knows he has his work cut out for him, but is confident he can get the job done. But things become more complicated when bank owner Arthur Case (CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER) learns of the heist. Rather than being concerned about his employees, the hostages or the money held in the bank, though, Case is focused on something far more important to him. Accordingly, he calls in Madeline White (JODIE FOSTER), a highly regarded and efficient but extremely discreet "fixer." Able to pull most any string she needs, she gets the mayor to give her cart blanche in dealing with the robbers, a point that doesn't sit well with Frazier or Mitchell, and makes the smooth Russell curious if she's trying to protect the very thing he's after. As the give and take dance begins, Frazier tries to juggle all of the various variables that are at play, all in hopes of resolving the matter peacefully while figuring out what's really motivating Russell and his crew. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Fans of anyone in the cast, director Spike Lee and/or heist-based, action-thrillers may just be interested in it. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For language and some violent images. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: DENZEL WASHINGTON plays a hostage negotiator who's assigned to the bank robbery and hostage situation when his superior officer is not available. Accused of being involved with a large sum of other missing money, he tries to resolve this situation as quickly as possibly, but finds that he might have met his match in Russell and his well-conceived plan. He uses strong profanity, and shows bravery and smarts in the line of duty. CLIVE OWEN plays the robbery ringmaster whose calm and calculated demeanor is occasionally broken by a few sudden bouts of violence. He uses strong profanity, smokes a few times, and has an ulterior motive to his actions. JODIE FOSTER plays a highly regarded, efficient and discreet but amoral fixer hired by Case to protect his interests no matter the costs. She briefly uses profanity while getting the job down. CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER plays the bank owner who's more concerned about a personal issue regarding something inside the bank than he is with his employees, customers or their money that seem to be at stake. WILLEM DAFOE plays the police captain who isn't overjoyed that Frazier will be calling the shots from their end. He uses strong profanity and briefly smokes. CHIWETEL EJIOFOR plays Frazier's younger partner who assists him in trying to resolve the matter and crack the case. He uses strong profanity. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated dramatic suspense/thriller. Profanity consists of at least 58 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are used. Some sexually related dialogue is present (including between a man and woman who playfully drop innuendo and do some brief kissing while she's in her lingerie). Various characters of varying body shapes and sizes are briefly seen in their various styles of underwear when they're forced to strip and change clothes. Violence consists of several beatings, along with what looks like an execution (but is faked) and an imagined raid where various villains are riddled with gunfire (while some violent video game footage is also present) . Some of that has bloody results and those scenes and others may be unsettling or suspenseful to some viewers. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes (including racism), while some potentially imitative behavior is present. Meanwhile, various characters smoke, some drink and a brief drug reference is made. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, there's some of that as flashing police lights are reflected on a wall. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there's bouncy camerawork at various times throughout the film, as well as a shot that spins around a stationary character. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Russell sees a hostage's boy playing an urban first-shooter video game and the kid comments on selling crack as part of the game. Russell tells Frazier on the phone that in a week, he (Russell) will be sipping piņa coladas with two women. Frazier half-jokes that Russell instead will be showering with two men (in prison) and that the thing he'll be sucking on will not be a piņa colada. Doing the negotiating bit, Frazier tells Russell that they'll go across the street and he'll buy him a beer (that doesn't happen). Case pours himself a drink. Madeline and the mayor have wine in a restaurant where others also have wine with their meals. We see Frazier's girlfriend's brother asleep with a bottle of booze in his hand. BLOOD/GORE Russell might have some blood splatter on his overalls (but that might also be real or faked paint as he's in a painter's outfit). We see a few dried cuts on a man's face as he's interviewed after the robbery. Russell sees a hostage's boy playing an urban first-shooter video game and we then see footage from it (where it shows an animated character shooting others on the street, holding a knife and then attaching a grenade to a wounded character's head that then explodes with a bloody mess). About a hole that's been dug in the bank basement floor, one of the robbers says, "That's a good-looking sh*thole" (but we don't see it used for that). The police watch surveillance footage that shows a robber executing a hooded hostage (a shot seemingly to the head) with a little blood coming out (Spoiler Alert: We later learn this was faked with a fake gun and a device to spurt out fake blood). We see various imagined views of the police raiding the bank and getting into gun battles with the various bank robbers who are all shot dead, one by one (with some bloody results, including blood splattering onto safety deposit boxes -- again, this is all imagined, but looks real). We hear the sound of urination in a men's bathroom. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE The bank robbers obviously have bad attitudes. Case is more concerned with his personal interests in the bank than in the well-being of his employees, customers or their money. A woman who's talking loudly on her cell phone in the bank has a bad attitude toward a guy who turns around to look at her (telling the person on the phone that she wants to snap his neck -- making a gesture of a karate chop) and has the same toward a bank guard who tells her to be quieter. We hear that Frazier is accused of being involved in $140,000 that's missing from a check cashing scam (he says a drug dealer was trying to set him up). When a Sikh walks out of the bank with a message attached to him, a cop yells out that it's an Arab and thinks he has a bomb. The cops then manhandle him while arresting him (we later see him putting ice on his head while being interrogated). He's then upset that his turban has been removed, but Frazier and the others aren't concerned about that now. He also mentions that he's always harassed wherever he goes. Commenting about a woman, a guy says "I remember her -- great t*ts." Later, Frazier and Mitchell interrogate her, with Mitchell having a hard time keeping his eyes off her buxom chest and cleavage. She then tells him to take another picture (with his eyes), adding that she can bend over and pick up a pencil. About his ex-wife and being forced by the police to call her (as an interpreter), a man says, "I hate that bitch." A miscellaneous woman smokes in a police command center despite being told she can't. She then agrees to help interpret some audio but only if Frazier takes care of her many parking tickets. When a guy says that he's Armenian and not Albanian, Frazier asks, "What's the difference?" Spoiler Alert: We hear that Case got rich in the past doing business with WWII era Nazis in Switzerland (and used his riches to open his banks). We hear that one of the hostages had a prior crime in robbing a liquor store (he says his friends did it). Darius refers to some people as "rag heads." We learn that Frazier took a deal from Madeline that bumps him up a grade in his police career. A police sergeant tells a story and uses the term "spic" to describe someone (Frazier calls him on that). After the event is over and it's realized that no one was killed, nothing was stolen and the bank robbers can't be identified, Frazier's boss tells him to drop the case. Madeline makes what's possibly a joke about Bin Laden's nephew buying a condo and that she gave Case's name as a reference. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" may also be unsettling or suspenseful to some viewers. The bank robbers holds handguns and machine guns on their hostages, pushing some of them to the floor during the initial stages of the heist. Russell holds his handgun to a man's head when the latter claims he doesn't have a cell phone. Russell doesn't believe him and thus uses others' phones until he finds one that calls that man's. After the phone rings, Russell takes him into another room and through the smoked and beveled glass, we can see the image of the motion of him punching, kicking and then stomping down onto that man. When he walks out, it looks like he might have some blood splatter on his overalls (but that might also be real or faked paint). An older woman refuses to strip and we think that Russell is going to beat or possibly kill her, but he has a female accomplice remove the woman from the room. When a hostage tries to stir up some unrest, Russell grabs and then drags the man across the floor and into another room where he punches him in the face. Madeline goes into the bank to negotiate with Russell and is frisked before meeting him (nothing else tense happens then). Frazier goes in to meet Russell. After being frisked, he has guns held on him. Frazier grabs Russell and they tumble down a few steps, with Frazier trying to control Russell, but one of the robbers then comes up and holds a gun on Frazier, making him give up (Russell then holds his gun on him as well). The police watch surveillance footage that shows a robber executing a hooded hostage (a shot seemingly to the head) with a little blood coming out (Spoiler Alert: We later learn this was faked with a fake gun and a device to spurt out fake blood). The cops go inside the bank (after everyone has seemingly left) and slowly make their way through every nook and cranny with their guns drawn. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Automatic weapons: Carried and/or used to threaten others. See "Violence" for details (but not all is what it initially seems -- Spoiler Alert: Some of the guns are fakes but seem real at the time they're used). Russell sees a hostage's boy playing an urban first-shooter video game and we then see footage from it (where it shows an animated character shooting others on the street, holding a knife and then attaching a grenade to a wounded character's head that then explodes with a bloody mess). IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "It's a f*cking bank," "Everybody get down on the f*cking floor," "What the f*ck /do you want (me to do)/does that mean/happened?" "Get your f*cking face on the floor," "I'm not f*cking kidding," "Too f*cking stupid," "I f*cked up," "Take off your f*cking clothes," "The guy with the big f*cking gun," "You're out of your f*cking mind," "I'm f*cking tired of this sh*t," "F*ck this sh*t," "Calm the f*ck down," "Shut the f*ck up," "You just crossed the f*cking line," "Too f*cking close," "F*ck you," "Get the f*ck out of here," "Are you f*cking kidding me?" "It's all f*cked up," "David f*cking Copperfield," "He was a f*cking idiot," "M*therf*cker," "Oh sh*t," "I can't see sh*t," "No sh*t," "James Bond sh*t," "Can't speak English for sh*t," "That's a good looking sh*thole," "Bullsh*t," "Don't bullsh*t a bullsh*tter," "Sh*t" (said in a stretched way to sound like "sheee-it"), "The big d*ck today" (nonsexual), "You're a magnificent c*nt" (also nonsexual), "Get the hell out of here," "Go ahead, make my day," "Shut up," "My ass," "What the hell /is the difference/is it/is that/just happened?" "Fat ass," "Hell yeah," "You're damn right," "You really want to piss me off," "This guy's nuts," "Go nuts," "Or am I just whistling Dixie out of my ass?" "Kiss my black ass," "Morons," "Rag heads," "Let's cut the crap," "Thank you bank robber" (said sarcastically and for laughs), "Spic" and "This thing stinks to high hell." It's possible the film could inspire some kids to try to concoct and pull off some sort of "perfect crime." We see miscellaneous graffiti. We see what looks like a large tattoo on a woman's arm. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A heavy amount of suspenseful, dramatic and action-oriented music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) A song ring-tone heard on a cell phone uses the "s" word along with "nigger." PROFANITY At least 58 "f" words (2 used with "mother"), 30 "s" words, 5 slang terms using male genitals ("d*ck," "c*cks*cker," "Johnson," "Big Willy," "Gun"), 1 using female ones ("c*nt"), 2 for breasts ("twins"), 14 asses (1 used with "hole"), 8 hells, 3 damns, 2 craps, 2 S.O.B.s, 2 uses of "G-damn" and 1 use each of "Jesus Christ," "Oh Christ," "Oh dear God" and "Swear to God." SEX/NUDITY Frazier and his girlfriend drop some innuendo over the phone, with mention of the "twins" (presumably her breasts) and his "gun" (presumably his penis). Frazier mentions "banging" his girlfriend (in the context of her brother's reaction to that). The bank robbers have their hostages strip (to put on clothing identical to theirs). We then see some shirtless men as well as the women (of various ages and sizes) in their various undergarments (some small and/or revealing -- such as cleavage and other skin -- and others more conservative). When an older woman refuses, Russell tells her this is the only time he'd tell her this -- "Take off your f*cking clothes." Madeline shows a little cleavage. Commenting about a woman, a guy says "I remember her -- great t*ts." Later, Frazier and Mitchell interrogate her, with Mitchell having a hard time keeping his eyes off her buxom chest and cleavage. She then tells him to take another picture (with his eyes), adding that she can bend over and pick up a pencil. A miscellaneous woman shows cleavage. About being fooled, Frazier tells the others that the last time he had his "Johnson" pulled that hard, it cost him $5 (prompting another male cop to ask "Five dollars?"). Russell tells Frazier on the phone that in a week, he (Russell) will be sipping piņa coladas with two women. Frazier half-jokes that Russell instead will be showering with two men (in prison) and that the thing he'll be sucking on will not be a piņa colada. Frazier's girlfriend shows some cleavage while lying on the bed and talking to him on the phone. Mitchell tells a buxom woman that only she and another woman fit the description of the lone female bank robber (after having her open her overalls to show her covered bust). She asks what that is and he says "cup size," with her wondering if her crime is "size 34 double-D." Frazier meets his girlfriend and she's in some lingerie on the bed waiting for him (that includes a panty view). There's some sexual innuendo (her asking if he brought "Big Willy," him commenting on the "twins" and then saying he needs to get his (hand)gun off before he gets his "gun" off, etc.). They then do some passionate kissing. SMOKING Russell smokes at least twice, Darius smokes at least once and a number of miscellaneous characters smoke in several scenes. A miscellaneous woman smokes in a police command center despite being told she can't. TENSE FAMILY SCENES About his ex-wife and being forced by the police to call her (as an interpreter), a man says, "I hate that bitch." TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Whether a thing such as a perfect robbery exists. Racism and its various forms among various groups (especially in the post 911 world). Spoiler Alert: We hear that Case got rich in the past doing business with WWII era Nazis in Switzerland (and used his riches to open his banks). The comment that all lies and evil deeds stink, and that you can cover them up, but that doesn't stop the smell. We learn that Frazier took a deal from Madeline that bumps him up a grade in his police career. After the event is over and it's realized that no one was killed, nothing was stolen and the bank robbers can't be identified, Frazier's boss tells him to drop the case. The comment that respect is the ultimate currency. Video game violence and what kids are being exposed to. VIOLENCE The bank robbers holds handguns and machine guns on their hostages, pushing some of them to the floor during the initial stages of the heist. Russell holds his handgun to a man's head when the latter claims he doesn't have a cell phone. Russell doesn't believe him and thus uses others' phones until he finds one that calls that man's. After the phone rings, Russell takes him into another room and through the smoked and beveled glass, we can see the image of the motion of him punching, kicking and then stomping down onto that man. When he walks out, it looks like he might have some blood splatter on his overalls (but that might also be real or faked paint). When a Sikh walks out of the bank with a message attached to him, a cop yells out that it's an Arab and thinks he has a bomb. The cops then manhandle him while arresting him (we later see him putting ice on his head while being interrogated). When a hostage tries to stir up some unrest, Russell grabs and then drags the man across the floor and into another room where he punches him in the face. While being escorted into an office, a woman's head bangs into the door frame. Russell sees a hostage's boy playing a urban first-shooter video game and we then see footage from it (where it shows an animated character shooting others on the street, holding a knife and then attaching a grenade to a wounded character's head that then explodes with a bloody mess). We see that the robbers have several hostages bound and gagged. Frazier grabs Russell and they tumble down a few steps, with Frazier trying to control Russell, but one of the robbers then comes up and holds a gun on Frazier, making him give up (Russell then holds his gun on him as well). The police watch surveillance footage that shows a robber executing a hooded hostage (a shot seemingly to the head) with a little blood coming out (Spoiler Alert: We later learn this was faked with a fake gun and a device to spurt out fake blood). We see various imagined views of the police raiding the bank and getting into gun battles with the various bank robbers who are all shot dead, one by one (with some bloody results, including blood splattering onto safety deposit boxes -- again, this is all imagined, but looks real). The front doors of the bank are blown open and various masked people, all dressed alike come rushing out, with the police shooting them with rubber bullets, downing the first such people to the street. Reviewed March 21, 2006 / Posted March 24, 2006

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