Inside Man

Synopsis: From a cell, a man tells us he has planned the perfect bank robbery; he invites us to watch. An efficient gang enters a Manhattan bank, locks the doors, and takes hostages. They work deliberately, without haste. Detective Frazier is assigned to negotiate, but half his mind is occupied with the corruption charges he is facing. The bank's president has something to protect in a safe deposit box, so he brings in Madeleine White, a high-power broker with a hidden agenda. With an army of police surrounding the bank, the thief, the cop, and the plutocrat's fixer enter high-stakes negotiations. Why are the robbers asking for a plane, if they are so competent and they know they won't get one? Why aren't they in more of a hurry? If the job's perfect, why is the thieves' leader in a cell?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Director(s): Spike Lee
Production: Universal Pictures
  6 wins & 11 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.6
Metacritic:
76
Rotten Tomatoes:
86%
R
Year:
2006
129 min
$88,439,515
Website
5,557 Views


My name is Dalton Russell.

Pay strict attention to what I say

because I choose my words carefully

and I never repeat myself.

I've told you my name. That's the "who."

The "where" could most readily

be described as a prison cell.

But there's a vast difference

between being stuck in a tiny cell

and being in prison.

The "what" is easy.

Recently I planned and set in motion

events to execute the perfect bank robbery.

That's also the "when. "

As for the "why,"

beyond the obvious financial motivation,

it's exceedingly simple.

Because I can.

Which leaves us only with the "how. "

And therein, as the Bard would tell us,

lies the rub.

So, your mother tells me about

a certain young lady who's helping you

with the Triborough Bridge project?

- Okay?

- All right, okay.

He's crazy.

- Now? On 51st? 50...

Yeah, that's where he is right now.

He's on 40, he... No, he's still on 47th Street,

but it's a much smaller space.

What do I have to...

Yeah, we'll get lobster.

I'll put it on Mr Ansinori's card.

Whatever. It's a meeting

with one of his clients or something.

Because it's been like over a year now.

Yeah.

I want to snap this guy's neck,

I swear to God.

So what?

So what? They're flowers.

They could've been to his grandmother.

They could've been to me.

It's my birthday, so...

Okay, so maybe it's a client's.

Okay. This is funny.

I got this guy in front of me

that thinks I don't see him looking at me.

Fantastic. God damn it.

- Excuse me.

- Yeah.

Can you lower your voice

just a little bit, please?

You're getting a little loud on your phone.

Please.

Yeah. Fine.

I don't want you

disturbing the other customers.

- Sorry.

- All right?

- Yeah, you got it.

- Thank you.

It was a security guy.

I didn't know I was in a library.

It's a f***ing bank.

Manhattan Trust.

...from Yale.

And this f***ing rich prick I work for.

Thank you.

Excuse me. Sir?

Easy.

Everybody get down on the f***ing floor!

Now!

Get down on the ground!

You have four seconds!

Anyone still standing gets shot!

One! Two! Three!

Back away from that counter!

Get your hand away from that button!

Put your hands on the floor! Now!

Oh... What the... What is this?

- Todd, what are we gonna do?

- What the f*** do you want me to do?

Keep your head down, fat man!

- All right!

Get your f***ing face on the floor!

You get the same treatment

as everyone else, Rabbi.

Get down.

Now, my friends and I are making

a very large withdrawal from this bank.

Anybody gets in our way

gets a bullet in the brain.

Lie down, old man!

Put your f***ing hands down!

Get your face on the floor.

All right, I'm down! I'm down!

Hey, Officer,

there's smoke coming out of there.

Possible 10-30. Manhattan Trust.

I have got hostages.

You f***ing cops come near this door,

I start killing people.

I not f***ing kidding, man.

Central. Give me an 85.

Back up, sir! Back up! You!

Sh*t!

- Back up! Back up!

Stay around the corner!

Central, give me an 85.

Perp with a gun. Possible hostages.

I repeat, possible hostages.

Baby, I'm fighting for my life over here.

Keith, every time we have this conversation,

it's the same thing.

- "Not now. "

- Listen. Listen.

Do you know what kind of thin ice

I'm on right now

with this cheque-cashing thing?

They want to lock me up.

If this $140,000 doesn't show up

somewhere soon,

- things gonna get rough for me.

- But you didn't take it.

Of course I didn't take it, baby.

It's just some lying drug dealer

trying to save his own ass

by f***ing me over.

- Eventually, it'll go away.

- Then what?

- What about us?

- Then, you know, I'll make First Grade

and we'll have enough money

to buy a bigger place and then, you know...

Why we got to have this conversation

every time your brother gets locked up

- or gets caught stealing a car?

- He's the only family I've got.

All right, I'm sorry, baby. You okay?

- You still love me?

- I'm sorry, too.

- You still love me?

- I love you, baby.

All right. Big Willie and the twins for you

when I get home.

- I got the handcuffs.

- I got the gun.

Bye, Big Daddy.

- Big Willie and the twins, huh?

- That's correct.

Her lowlife brother, he's got three priors,

one for armed robbery.

Doesn't have an honest bone in his body

and he's too f***ing stupid

to amount to anything. Even as a criminal.

- Can't you get rid of him?

- I could, couldn't I?

No, she loves him. What am I gonna do?

Put him out in the street?

- How's he feel about you?

- Oh, he's thrilled.

To have a detective

sleeping in the next room,

banging his sister.

Then she tries to bring it all back on me.

You know, "If we had a bigger place,

we wouldn't have this problem. "

Of course, if we got married

then things would be different.

- And what's wrong with that?

- A wedding. Furniture. Kids.

You know what a diamond ring costs?

- Come on, man. You've been married.

- Please. I was 21.

- Yeah, but you give her a ring?

- Yeah, but she won't call me back.

- You guys cops?

- Oh, sh*t! He made us!

Christmas came early for you this year.

Bank robbery. Hostage situation.

- What?

- Grossman's on vacation. You're up.

What about the Madrugada thing?

The cheque-cashing thing?

- I thought I was in the doghouse.

- I just threw you a bone.

As far as I'm concerned, you still work here,

- but if you don't think you're ready...

- No, no, he's ready!

Rate this script:5.0 / 2 votes

Russell Gewirtz

Russell Gewirtz (born 1967 in Great Neck, New York) is an American screenwriter, best known for writing the screenplay for Spike Lee's Inside Man. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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