Clive Owen should have been the new Bond. Denzel is fun to watch as a good cop after Training Day. Jodie Foster has turned into a real ball-breaker.

These three superstars combine to make an interesting, but not deeply-involved, heist drama. Owen came off a little too cool for his own good sometimes. The old cliche’ of telling the cop “no, we’re playing by my rules” has gotten old. Denzel’s a snappy, hard-workin’ detective who finally gets a big assignment, which makes him act a little more out-of-his-league than we’re used to. Jodie Foster’s main goal was to be a unisex symbol, and talk with as much breath in her voice as possible.

The heist hinges on the fact that the criminals aren’t touching any of the money in the bank. As it turns out, they never actually kill anyone, either. What the bloody hell are they doing, then? Exposing a secret of the bank’s founder that Jodie Foster has been hired to protect. Think of a bunch of taboos that a bank exec could have violated. Hmm – murder, sex crimes, and fraud are the main ones. But if you want to portray evil, you only gotta look one place these days.

Anyway, it’s hard to say when or where the secret may end up being revealed, but Clive Owen and his juggy cohorts make some slick moves to keep you wondering. All in all, not bad, but Jodie Foster disappears for most of the film, the hostages aren’t all that exciting, and Denzel doesn’t watch enough porn. Close but no cigar.