Inside Man...
—1. Overview
—2. Cast and Crew
—3. Photo Pages
—4. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—5. Posters (Denzel Washington)
—6. Production Notes (pdf)
—7. Spiritual Connections
—8. Presentation Downloads
You can try covering your sins up for as long as you want, but eventually, the smell will catch up to you. The trouble is, when there is not a clear definition of what 'sin' is, then you can smell whatever you want. This quick summary of Inside Man is why I both loved and became frustrated at this movie.
Inside Man is an intriguing movie, with a sort of old school, classic detective style that is somewhat surprising coming from Spike Lee. The story is told masterfully with superb acting from Clive Owen, Denzel Washington, and Jodie Foster. All told, this is the making of a great film, something that, unfortunately, Inside Man is not.
This is a good movie, but what makes it so frustrating is the fact that the movie crushes under the weight of its own logic.
SPOILER WARNING:
This movie centers in on Arthur Case (Plummer), a man that got rich from less than reputable decisions. This sets in motion a plan that Dalton Russell (Owen) calls "the perfect bank robbery." However, this is not a bank robbery because the robbers are not after the cash, the bank vault, or any valuables. They are after the man, Arthur Case.
What follows next is corruption, followed by more corruption, and then ending with...well...you guessed it...corruption. Madeline White (Foster) does not care what Russell has on Case, Case has paid her to protect his interests, and because of that, she does not care what he is guilty of, she got paid.
This is a horrible act, especially when the viewer finds out what Case is guilty of. But at this point, there is a question that must be asked: Even though Case got rich off of heinous crimes, is robbing him then a sinless act? Inside Man says yes, and that is where this movie breaks down.
Russell is not robbing Case to bring good to others (which would still not justify his actions); he is robbing Case to get rich, even though there are times throughout the movie where Russell speaks out against riches and being concerned about money. In other words, Russell is a hypocrite, even though the movie aims to make him a hero.
Inside Man does not view the robbery in such a negative way. Instead it is seen as judgment on a man who committed a heinous sin. This is a perfect reminder that the only person who can bring perfect justice is God. Any justice humans try to give out is insufficient, and typically leads to more injustice.
When we have been wronged, our response cannot be simply to wrong others. This is where I think Jesus had something completely right. "And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well" (Matthew 5:40). Jesus gives us everything we need, and he will bring to justice all wrongdoers. To think that suddenly any man who has ever done severe wrong should now be robbed is ridiculous. Yet that is precisely what Inside Man asks us to believe.
Let me encourage you to let God give justice and for you to put your trust in God. God is so much better at bringing justice than we are anyway.
— Overview
—2. Cast and Crew
—3. Photo Pages
—4. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—5. Posters (Denzel Washington)
—6. Production Notes (pdf)
—7. Spiritual Connections
—8. Presentation Downloads
You can try covering your sins up for as long as you want, but eventually, the smell will catch up to you. The trouble is, when there is not a clear definition of what 'sin' is, then you can smell whatever you want. This quick summary of Inside Man is why I both loved and became frustrated at this movie.Inside Man is an intriguing movie, with a sort of old school, classic detective style that is somewhat surprising coming from Spike Lee. The story is told masterfully with superb acting from Clive Owen, Denzel Washington, and Jodie Foster. All told, this is the making of a great film, something that, unfortunately, Inside Man is not.
This is a good movie, but what makes it so frustrating is the fact that the movie crushes under the weight of its own logic.
SPOILER WARNING:
This movie centers in on Arthur Case (Plummer), a man that got rich from less than reputable decisions. This sets in motion a plan that Dalton Russell (Owen) calls "the perfect bank robbery." However, this is not a bank robbery because the robbers are not after the cash, the bank vault, or any valuables. They are after the man, Arthur Case.
What follows next is corruption, followed by more corruption, and then ending with...well...you guessed it...corruption. Madeline White (Foster) does not care what Russell has on Case, Case has paid her to protect his interests, and because of that, she does not care what he is guilty of, she got paid.
This is a horrible act, especially when the viewer finds out what Case is guilty of. But at this point, there is a question that must be asked: Even though Case got rich off of heinous crimes, is robbing him then a sinless act? Inside Man says yes, and that is where this movie breaks down.
Russell is not robbing Case to bring good to others (which would still not justify his actions); he is robbing Case to get rich, even though there are times throughout the movie where Russell speaks out against riches and being concerned about money. In other words, Russell is a hypocrite, even though the movie aims to make him a hero.
Inside Man does not view the robbery in such a negative way. Instead it is seen as judgment on a man who committed a heinous sin. This is a perfect reminder that the only person who can bring perfect justice is God. Any justice humans try to give out is insufficient, and typically leads to more injustice.
When we have been wronged, our response cannot be simply to wrong others. This is where I think Jesus had something completely right. "And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well" (Matthew 5:40). Jesus gives us everything we need, and he will bring to justice all wrongdoers. To think that suddenly any man who has ever done severe wrong should now be robbed is ridiculous. Yet that is precisely what Inside Man asks us to believe.
Let me encourage you to let God give justice and for you to put your trust in God. God is so much better at bringing justice than we are anyway.
— Overview
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