Before I get back into the fall theater-going, I have to pass along a few DVD tips. Two to catch if you missed them in theaters are 16 BLOCKS, starring Bruce Willis and Mos Def, and INSIDE MAN, starring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, and Jodie Foster.
I thought 16 BLOCKS was the more compelling drama. It revolves around a crew of NYC cops and detectives, one of whom (Bruce Willis) is for the most part a broken down alcoholic who commands no respect from his colleagues...
...or himself. As he's leaving work one day, he's asked to drive a witness (Mos Def) to testify down at the NY courts on the Lower East Side. Complications - including a chase through Chinatown - ensue. What transpires in those 16 blocks changes everyone's lives... and holds some surprises. The witness is testifying against some powerful men, and the attempt to stop him from getting to the courthouse forces Willis' character to examine his loyalties, his choices, and who he really is inside.
Meanwhile, over at INSIDE MAN, a bank robbery-hostage situation also is more than it appears to be at first brush. Denzel plays a detective working under a cloud of suspicion (are there no cops in NY besides those on Law & Order who aren't suspected of something?) who reports to the scene to talk the robbers into releasing their captives. What D doesn't know is that the bank robbers, led by Clive Owen, are after something far more precious to them -- and the man it belongs to -- than money. Jodie Foster joins in as some sort of highly paid fixer/smart alec who does favors for people in power (she drops, "Mr Mayor" more than once -- shame on you, Mike!) -- she's the type you'd think Kim Jong Il would hire to make things right with his neighbors now that he's popped his nuclear cherry, or Moqtada al Sadr pays to cover his tracks with the Shiite death squads. That kind of girl. It's the dopiest part in the movie, but it's good to see Jodie chew up some scenery. INSIDE MAN is well played, and it was fun to see Jodie and Denzel square off, mano a chica. The plot doesn't hold up to the slightest scrutiny, and it'll most likely leave your head the minute it's over, but while it's on screen there's plenty to enjoy.