Movie Stats:
Released 2006 (Netherlands)
American, in English (minor, translated Albanian)
Director - Spike Lee
Stars - Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster
Plot Summary:
When a crew of thieves, led by Dalton Russell (Owen), takes over a bank, negotiator Keith Frazier (Washington) works to free the hostages. Foster co-stars as Madeleine White, the woman hired to protect the bank owner’s interests.
Warnings:
Heavy blue language, including racial slurs & rude gestures; violence; minor gore; implied sexy times.
Bad Stuff:
I find the story really unsatisfying. There’s no true ending and no real explanation of why the thieves did what they did or how they got their information. I also feel that the Madeleine White storyline is superfluous. All she does is say that she does things.
Character development is poor for everyone but Keith Frazier. I thought it was particularly bad at developing the thieves. You never even learn most of their real names, let alone their motivations.
All the different storytelling methods are disorienting. First, it’s a straightforward, linear story. Suddenly, it jumps to future interviews with bank hostages. Then, there are flashbacks. I didn’t like it.
Good Stuff:
I enjoyed the underlying mystery (What are the thieves truly after?) and the chess-like game of strategy that unfolds between Dalton and Frazier.
The acting is pretty solid.
It’s got some humor. My favorite exchange is when (I can’t find the exact quote) Frazier makes a throwaway comment about getting a $5 hand job & Captain John Darius (a very understated Willem Dafoe) responds, “$5?” in an interested tone. That made me laugh out loud.
About the Performance:
I had a difficult time choosing a movie for Foster. I’ve already reviewed what are arguably her three biggest roles. I should have reviewed her performance in The Accused, one of her two Best Actress wins (The Silence of the Lambs is the other). After reading what it was about, however, I took a hard pass on it because it sounded like a film that would really piss me off.
Anyway, after looking thoroughly through her filmography and vetoing several films because they either didn’t interest me or I’ve seen & don’t like them, I decided on this one. It was the wrong choice. I had seen it before & remembered not being too thrilled about it. I liked it even less than I remembered. But that’s not the problem. Foster simply isn’t in this film much. Her character has little to do, to the point that I wondered why she was even in it.
That being said, I think she’s an amazing actress who definitely deserves a spot on this list.
Other performances of Foster’s I’ve reviewed: Contact; The Silence of the Lambs; Taxi Driver.
The Verdict:
Yeah, I don’t care for this film. I saw it in the theater when it came out. I recalled feeling “meh” about it but thought maybe a second viewing would give me more favorable feelings. It didn’t. I’m genuinely shocked to find it has such a high rating online. I think the story is a hot mess. The character development is so bad that I literally don’t care about anyone. Keith Frazier is a weirdly unlikable character. I can’t quite put my finger on why I don’t like him, but I found it difficult to rally behind him. I do think that it has a good mystery to it, and I like the tension it creates, but overall I don’t connect with it.
I give it 2.75 stars.
2 comments:
I've seen the accused, and will never see it ever again. It's a good movie, but gang rape=not good for repeat viewing. I will say that, from what I remember, the way the gang rape is presented is not overwhelming. But especially now, with so many stories in the media about rape and sexual harassment, no need to add anything to the overstuffed buffet of misogyny.
For another Jody Foster performance, I would recommend Freaky Friday! ;-)
Looking at her filmography, I would have either revisited Maverick, because I remember enjoying it back in the day, or watch Anna and the King, which I never saw.
I've been listening to the podcast Denzel Washington is the Greatest Actor of All Time Period and Inside Man comes up a lot as a very good film. I've not seen it, so it was interesting to hear your perspective.
I dislike both Maverick and Freaky Friday, which is why I didn't choose them. With The Accused, it wasn't so much that I was concerned about seeing the rape as I was about how she would be treated afterward, because I know how terribly many rape victims are treated in real life. I already feel enough rage on a day-to-day basis.
Also, I must be the only person on the planet who doesn't think Denzel Washington is the bees knees. I find him very meh, but I'm hoping to someday discover a performance that makes me feel otherwise.
Post a Comment