What looks like a standard bank robbery is so much more than that as the criminals heist spirals into a hostage situation with a police detective and high-powered broker entering into the high stakes negotiations to safe everyone trapped inside.

Inside Man is a truly unique film which places a lot of emphasis on a very clever plot. Raising many different issues and challenges relating to the reasons why the robbery was taking place and how clever it was leaving no actual evidence of a crime actually being committed. It does make you think and wonder why people do things and what motivates them. Parts of this film are tricky to talk about considering it does have a few twists and turns that you don’t really see coming. Obviously I am not going to spoil that at all.

Clive Owen take on the role of the bank robber and it must have been a tough one considering his face is covered with sunglasses, a mask and hood up for most of the film. I have since read that he wanted to turn the role down because of that. With a lot of action being done with the eyes and having those covered was a tough ask. That was the reason Denzel Washington opted to take on the role of Detective Keith Frazier, putting in his cool approach adding that much needed element to the film. I was very impressed with both of these very different performances.

The supporting cast was very good as well with Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Willem Dafoe all bringing the film up to an even higher level. Each getting different chances to shine and try to steal the scenes. Something which does actually happen quite a few times in all honesty. I think I actually find myself forgetting how many big films Ejiofor has actually been in! Working very well with Washington in this one as his fellow detective.

As well as the serious nature of the robbery and hostages taking place, having to interview each of them and trying to work out if they were the actual robbers or not certainly creates some difficult scenes. The people clearly traumatised by what they had been put through inside the bank then actually being questioned was not a very nice experience, but they had been dressed the same as the people taking hostages. A very tough ask for the police force who were trying to keep them all safe, to then go to accusing them all of actually doing it.

I have seen this film a few times now over the years but I guess I always forget how exactly it ends, which just shows how complex it actually is. Are you a fan of this one or is it a little bit too much?