Inside Man Blu-Ray Review

Movie 4.5/5.0
Picture 5.0/5.0
Audio 4.5/5.0
Extras 3.0/5.0

Starring: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster
Directed by: Spike Lee

The film begins in medias res with Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) narrating his plight in the confines of an undisclosed cell, musing about the difference between a cell and a prison. Shortly afterwards, he begins in narration to describe the "perfect" plan for a bank robbery.

The robbery begins in flashback as robbers, dressed as painters and utilizing aliases under variants of the name "Steve," enter a bank, disable the security cameras, and seize control. All customers and bank employees are herded into the basement, where they are forced to surrender their keys and cell phones and change into painter uniforms and face masks identical to the robbers'. The hostages are locked into several rooms; periodically the robbers rotate them and sometimes place themselves in among the hostages at various points.

Meanwhile, the police surround the bank. Detectives Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) and Bill Mitchell (Chiwetel Ejiofor) introduce themselves to Captain Darius (Willem Dafoe) and briefly discuss the situation. Russell demands that the police provide food, and they provide pizzas with electronic bugs in the boxes. They overhear conversations in a foreign language identified as Albanian. Eventually, they discover that the conversations are in fact propaganda recordings of deceased Albanian communist leader Enver Hoxha, implying that the robbers knew or guessed at the attempted surveillance.

After being informed of the robbery in progress, Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer), chairman of the board of directors and founder of the bank, hires "fixer" Madeleine White (Jodie Foster) to try to arrange for the contents of his safe deposit box at the bank to remain secret. White meets with the mayor, then manipulates Frazier to let her talk with Russell. Mentioning the special interests she wants to protect, she persuades Russell to let her enter the bank to talk. When White requests access to the safe deposit box, Russell shows her a document bearing a swastika symbol, suggesting that Case received money, enough to fund his bank, from the Nazis during World War II for unspecified services that resulted in Jewish deaths. Russell reveals his motivation, saying, "All lies, they stink; you can cover them up for a while but they don't go away." After assuring Russell that Case will make him a very wealthy man if he destroys or covers up this document, White leaves.

Attempting a bluff, Frazier informs Russell that the plane he demanded is ready but he needs to confirm that all the hostages are safe before permitting them to leave. Russell allows him to enter the bank, and escorts Frazier around the building. As they check the hostages, they discuss the situation, and also Frazier's desire to propose to his girlfriend, something which Russell suggests he should do regardless of finances. Upon exiting the bank, Frazier attempts to overpower Russell, but another robber comes to Russell's aid. Russell lets Frazier leave unharmed with seemingly no repercussion for his attack. Frazier tells his colleagues that he intentionally tried to provoke Russell, but as Russell failed to harm him, he believes Russell is not a killer. Soon after, the robbers call and direct the police to point their cameras to a specific second-floor window where a hostage is executed. An enraged Frazier confronts Russell again, demanding to know the robbers' true intentions. Russell simply replies that Frazier is, "too damn smart to be a cop".

The execution incident prompts the ESU team into action, and they plan to raid the building, using rubber bullets to knock everyone out. Frazier, however, discovers that the written message inside a drawer Russell sent contains a hidden transmitter. He orders Captain Darius to recall his men, but Darius ignores him.

Inside the bank, Russell overheard the conversation between Darius and Frazier and is alarmed that the police plan to move in. The robbers detonate smoke bombs throughout the bank and release the hostages, resulting in a horde of identically dressed people exiting through the smoke in mass confusion. The police detain and interrogate everyone. However, the police are unable to distinguish the robbers from among the hostages, even Russell. The hostage execution is revealed to have been faked, the robbers' weapons turn out to be non-working replicas, and nothing appears to have been stolen, prompting Frazier's superiors to order him to bury the case.

Frazier, however, searches the bank's records and finds that safe deposit box #392 has never appeared on any records since the bank's founding in 1948. He obtains a search warrant to open it. He is then confronted by White, who informs him of Case's Nazi dealings. She attempts to persuade Frazier to drop his investigation, reminding him that she has held up her end of their deal (guaranteeing his promotion and returning money he was implicated in stealing prior to the events of the movie). He refuses, pointing out that he never agreed to such a deal, and plays back their earlier conversation from a secret audio recording pen, ensuring he is protected.

White confronts Case about his Nazi connections, and he confesses everything to her. She correctly surmises that the safe deposit box must have contained diamonds and that these were the robbers' true objective; Case then specifies a Cartier diamond ring, belonging to a Jewish friend whom he betrayed to the Nazis in exchange for money. Case is remorseful over his past, and had since engaged in international philanthropy to try to assuage his guilt.

Russell's opening monologue is then repeated, but with the revelation that Russell is in fact hiding behind a fake wall erected inside the bank's supply room, thus revealing him as the titular "Inside Man", for he has been inside the bank all along. He emerges a week after the incident, with the contents of Case's safe deposit box (including the documents and numerous small bags containing diamonds) in his backpack. As he exits the bank, he deliberately bumps into Detective Frazier, who does not recognize him. Russell's associates meet him in an SUV outside the bank. Asked about the missing ring, Russell assures them he has left it "in good hands."

Frazier opens the safe deposit box and finds a gum wrapper, along with the Cartier ring and a message: "Follow the ring." Frazier confronts Case, informing him of his intention to investigate the ring. He finds White, telling her that the ring was linked to Case's past. He offers White the pen with the recording and gives her a card for the Office of War Crimes Issues at the U.S. State Department to request they investigate the situation.

After his final encounter with White, Frazier goes home and finds a loose multi-carat diamond in his pocket, realizing it must have been slipped to him by the man he bumped into in the bank, and that man must have been Russell. As the movie ends, it is implied that Frazier will use the diamond to propose to his girlfriend.

This 2006 bank robbery suspense film gets a great recommendation from me.
During the action scenes, you hear every detail there is; tires squeal as they drive up to the bank, the rustle of Washington's beard against his shirt. Every detail you can hear.
overall recommendation: 9/10

Anyone There?

is anyone out there actually reading my posts?

Happy New Year!

why do we celebrate it over and over and over again?!? seriously, we all know it's gonna be the same routine thru the new year as last year. we make new years resolutions and how many of us actually keep em?

as for me I'm gonna be working and doing nothing for the celebration. it's the same junk year after year. and it's a waste of money on fireworks. "Oohh ahhh, wow look at that one!" it's the same every time there's fireworks.
they're noisy, dangerous and a hell of a mess to pick up in the morning. that's if you're neighbors ever do pick em up. oh and how many house fires happen in the few hours that we can blow fireworks up?

New Years Eve/New Years Day are special as in the end of the year/beginning of the new year. but that's all. and why do we call it happy? how many of us are going to be truly happy throughout the entire year? seriously?

The Smell Of Success DVD Review

Movie 2/5
Extras 0/5

Starring:   Teà Leoni, Billy Bob Thorton & Ed Helms.
Directed By:  Michael Polish

When a tragic accident ends the life of Mr. Roses, the genius behind Roses Manure Company, his cosmetics salesgirl daughter Rosemary (Teà Leoni) must take control of a company that's about to go under. Determined to find a way to turn the foul into financial profits.

This movie was only entertaining just for the fact of who played in the movie. The story was ok, but could have been played out better.


*****I don't know about you, but his for me was a one time (ever) to watch this.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes Blu-Ray Review

Movie 5/5
Audio 5/5
Picture 5/5
Extras 4/5

Starring: James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Tom Felton
Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rise Of The best Planet Of the Apes since the original back in 1968.

An origin story set in present day San Francisco, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.

As the movies' title says.....it really is the Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. the movie starts out slow and introducing you to the characters and then introducing you to Caesar , the future leader of the Apes.
When an unfortunate incident happens involving Caesar and escaping into the neighbor hood, he is put into sanctuary of other apes. After being with other apes for the first time, Caesar wants to stay with them. And that leads to the eventual escape of all of the apes.

And the start of The Rise Of The Apes.

In the end Caesar speaks to Franco, whispers " Caesar is home"

Caesar is played by the wonderful Andy Serkis. He has a great eye for playing computer generated characters. He previously play Gollum in the Lord of the Ring series.

****I give the blu-ray release my best recommendation possible. This is one of my favorite movies this year.

The Debt Blu-Ray Review

• Movie
• 4.5/5
• Picture
• 4/5
• Audio
• 4.5/5

The espionage thriller begins in 1997, as shocking news reaches retired Mossad secret agents Rachel (Helen Mirren) and Stefan (Tom Wilkinson) about their former colleague David (Ciarán Hinds). All three have been venerated for decades by their country because of the mission that they undertook back in 1966, when the trio (portrayed by Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, and Sam Worthington) tracked down Nazi war criminal Vogel (Jesper Christensen) in East Berlin. At great risk, and at considerable personal cost, the team's mission was accomplished - or was it? The suspense builds in and across two different time periods, with startling action and surprising revelations.

Of the past few Spy thriller movies out there this is one that you must NOT miss!