Annotative Bibliography-Inside Man-Julie and Emmie

Julie and Emmie's Annotative Bibliography

Julie's:

Pluig, Claudia. "Lee's 'Inside Man' Pulls It Off." USA Today 23 Mar. 2006: Web. .

This article praises Spike Lee’s “Inside Man” by elaborating on Lee’s excellent ability to portray male characters while also mentioning that he lacks this strength in his portrayal of the female character that Jodi Foster plays. The reviewer compares the film to typical trademark features of Spike Lee focusing on the typical camera angles. The reviewer prides the choice of Denzel Washington and Clive Owen playing opposite roles saying that they match in wits, though stances, and artfully leavened by humor. The reviewer also commented on the few small plot gaps, and Lee’s failure to portray Foster’s character. This article shows approval for the film by focusing on what Lee excelled in during the film while only slightly discussing shortcomings.

Stein, Ruthe. "Inside Man." San Francisco Chronicle 24 Mar. 2006: 1-2. Web. .<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/03/24/DDGR9HSH6M1.DTL&type=movies>

The article discusses the “abundance of riches” that Spike Lee’s “Inside Man” has to offer focusing on the excellent work of Russell Gewirtz’s screenplay and the performance of core actors, Denzel Washington, Jodi Foster and Clive Owen. The reviewer prides Gewirtz’s unorthodox and unpredictable script especially because it is the first one he has written. The review focuses applauds Washington’s performance saying that because this is his fourth collaboration with Lee, he seemed completely natural and at ease. The reviewer also states that Washington shows many sides to himself that are rarely seen on screen. This reviewer shows her approval of the film by discussing a few small flaws and focusing on the positive aspects of the film. She supports those claims with possible reasoning and facts throughout the review.

Schwarzbaum, Lisa. "Inside Man." Entertainment Weekly 22 Mar. 2006: Web. .

This review focuses on giving the reader a plot summary of the Spike Lee’s “Inside Man” while also giving good and bad critiques of different scenes throughout the summary of the film. The review makes several points of positive and negative aspects by comparing parts of the film to other films that Spike Lee has directed and the actors/actresses played roles in. The review mostly discusses the progression of the film rather than focusing on the success or failure of the creation of the film. Although the film does discuss aspects of Spike Lee’s directing ability.

Emmie's:

Dargis, Manohla. "'Inside Man,' a Crime Caper Starring Denzel Washington." The New York Times 24 Mar. 2006: n. pag. Web. 18 Apr 2010. .

Manohla Dargis’ critical review for The New York Times asserts that Spike Lee’s “Inside Man” is a polished film compared to his works of the previous years. Dargis approves of the film and focuses on the superb choice of actors chosen by Lee; Dargis considers the acting in this film to the best of Denzel Washington and Jodie Foster in years by comparing it to some of their subpar films in the past. Dargis quickly summarizes the film, noting the superior screenplay, clever twists, and satisfying suspense.

Hunter, Stephen. "Inside Man." Washington Post 24 Mar. 2006: n. pag. Web. 19 Apr 2010.

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The Washington Post’s critical review of Spike Lee’s “Inside Man” begins with a synopsis of the movie, frequently noting the impact of the superior acting of Clive Owen and Denzel Washington. Stephen Hunter notes that the film is an original and professionally written thriller, although it has the characteristics of a big-studio work. The surprising twists and overall satisfaction of the film is reason enough for this critical review to greatly approve of “Inside Man”.

Turan, Kenneth. "'Inside Man'." Los Angeles Times 24 Mar. 2006: n. pag. Web. 18 Apr 2010.

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The Los Angeles Times critical review of “Inside Man” argues that the director, Spike Lee, takes the average crime thriller to the next level. Rather than summarize the main events of the movie, this review analyzes Lee’s unique twists to the movie like using Denzel Washington and Jodie Foster in uncharacteristic roles. Through a casual yet eloquent manner, this critical review generally supports the film as well as demonstrates what makes it a top-notch acted and scripted thriller.