"Inside Man": Spike Scores; "Flight 93": Too Soon
Category: Movies...
Posted Saturday, March 25, 2006 at 09:03 PM [GMT-6]

Note: No spoilers are included in this review!

My wife and I caught the last matinee showing this afternoon of Spike Lee's Inside Man, and it's the first movie in recent memory that our first comment to each other walking to the car was along the lines of "that was a great movie!"

Spike Lee has always been a well-respected moviemaker, but Inside Man should put him into the elite few who can not only tell a great story, but make money at it. If this film doesn't become the biggest grossing R-rated movie of the year, I'll be shocked.

It works on every level. The storyline is fresh, the characters are complex and fascinating, the acting is first-rate, the music is amazingly eclectic and effective, and the directing style is imaginative without ever becoming cute. The script assumes a complimentary level of intelligence on the part of the audience (which may be the biggest box-office drawback; few have gotten rich by depending on perceptive audiences). This is 2006's Collateral.

The R rating comes from the language in the movie, and if you're offended by such, you'll want to wait until it hits TV. There's nothing else in the film that's over the top; most violence is implied and the one exception turns out to be something other than what you might have inferred.

This is easily the best movie we've seen in a long time, and I recommend it to those who enjoy crime dramas with plenty of plot twists.

...

I feel strongly about this next thing. One of the trailers at the showing was for Flight 93, the first movie (to my knowledge) dealing with the events of 9/11. This movie, obviously, is about United Flight 93, the fourth flight that never reached its intended target, thanks to the heroic efforts of the passengers.

It's been almost five years since that event, which is seemingly a long time. But I have to tell you that as soon as I realized the subject of the movie in the trailer, I choked up. I don't know how you feel, but five years later is still too soon for this. I know it's inevitable that movies will be made about those events, but I want to go on record as saying that for our generation, I believe those movies will not be therapeutic, cathartic or helpful. We don't need them; our memories and emotions are quite sufficient.

I'm not judging the filmmakers as pursuing sordid gain from tragedy; I'll give them the benefit of the doubt as to the purity of their motives. I simply think the time for Flight 93 is not right.

If you disagree, please feel free to let me know what I'm overlooking or failing to consider.

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Comments

I'll have to look out for Inside man. I like something where I cannot figure out the ending in the first 5 minutes :).

Posted by: Rachel at March 25, 2006 10:24 PM

Rachel, if you can figure this one out before the end, I'll be very impressed!

And even after the final twist of the main plot was revealed, at the end, there was still one remaining surprise.

Posted by: Eric at March 25, 2006 10:29 PM

I hadn't even heard about Flight 93 but I agree. It's not something I would want to see. I've even stayed away from the couple of books I've seen about it or about the people on it.

I'm not sure why I think it's too soon. Maybe I think of those minutes on the plane, horrific though they must have been, as some sort of sacred event in a way (does that make any sense?). Any effort at retelling, or worse, reliving them would seem like an act of violence, both to the memories of the passengers and to the movie's audience.

Posted by: Jim at March 26, 2006 05:58 AM

I've liked Spike Lee ever since Do the Right Thing. I haven't seen anything he's done in a long while though. We'll definitely go see Inside Man.

As for 93, I even felt that way about Flight Plan though it wasn't at all based on actual events. Too much, too soon, if ever.

Posted by: Gwynne at March 26, 2006 02:41 PM

I too am intrigued by Inside Man...there's so much star power.

With the United 93 movie (which was Flight 93...i think they changed it because of something on the discovery channel called flight 93)...it is to my knowledge the 1st to deal directly with this issue and try to tell the story...

I recently wrote about this movie and also the Oliver Stone movie called "World Trade Center" which will I guess be the 2nd movie about 9/11.

--RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com

Posted by: RC of strangeculture at March 26, 2006 02:44 PM

RC, thanks for the clarification about the title of "United 93." I actually came away from the theater thinking that was the title, but when I couldn't find it on IMDB, I decided I was imagining things.

Posted by: Eric at March 26, 2006 03:21 PM

Gwynne, I guess I felt that Flight Plan's plot was so fictionalized that it didn't evoke any 9/11-related emotions for me. However, some of the plot elements that might have worked in a pre-9/11 world just seemed ludicrous in today's locked-down version.

Posted by: Eric at March 26, 2006 03:28 PM

I agree totally that it is much, much too soon for a movie about the events of 9/11. Even now, when I see a picture or news footage of that day, I feel like I have been punched in the gut. I'm not sure that I will ever get over that feeling, or if I even want to. But I really don't think a movie about it is something I would be interested in.

Posted by: Linda at March 26, 2006 08:20 PM

...or if I even want to.

Excellent point. Painful as they are, those memories are important. They shouldn't be cheapened.

Posted by: Eric at March 26, 2006 08:25 PM

I also think it is too early for theatrical films concerning 9/11. My only hope is that a talented director like Peter Greengrass will do an honorable job with this film.

Posted by: John Miller at March 30, 2006 04:31 AM

John, I have little doubt that the subject matter will be dealt with in an "honorable" fashion, but I think you recognize that that's not really the issue.

Posted by: Eric at March 30, 2006 07:32 AM

9.

I can’t believe that anyone could think it’s too soon. I for one will never forget nor be afraid to be reminded of the events of that day. If we are trying to forget then it will always be too soon and we’ve lost the battle already.

Posted by: Jim at April 6, 2006 06:43 AM

Jim, I think you've sorely misinterpreted the sentiments here. No one is suggesting that we forget or even try to forget those events. God help us if we need a movie to help us remember.

And you don't have to be too cynical to have this thought: someone's trying to get rich in this endeavor. I'm not sure the timing will ever be right for that.

Posted by: Eric at April 6, 2006 06:51 AM
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