“Inside” Review
Trapped in a penthouse with just some works of art for company, a thief (Willem Dafoe) begins to slowly lose his mind in “Inside.”
When you’re making a film set in one location and centered on one lone man, you’d better make sure that the setting and character are as interesting as humanly possible. Not only does “Inside” accomplish this, it creates a powerful portrait of a man slowly going insane as we’re taken along for the ride. It’s simply the most thrilling film in theaters right now.
Set in a luxury penthouse in Midtown, Manhattan, an art thief named Nemo (Willem Dafoe) breaks into the building to steal some valuable paintings. However, the unseen accomplice he’s working with fails to properly deactivate the security system which leaves Nemo trapped in the apartment. With minimal food, no running water and a malfunctioning thermostat that turns the heart and cold to excessive temperatures, Nemo must try to find away to escape before the weeks of torture undo his mind.
With a premise like that, “Inside” takes a basic concept and elevates it to a whole new plane of intrigue. At the heart of it is Willem Dafoe, who continues to prove himself as one of the most fascinating actors working today. Between his incredibly expressive face and unique physicality, Dafoe was the perfect choice for this part as he can get across so much while saying little. His gradual descent into madness makes for one of the best performances that I’ve seen this year.
Despite not seeing Nemo’s life before the failed heist, it’s quick to grasp that art isn’t just something for him to steal and make money, it’s something he’s truly passionate about. This is evident from the very first line of the film when he recalls that he would have saved, among other things, his sketchbook if his home was on fire. It’s this love for art that makes his dilemma all the more tragic.
While I rarely talk about characters’ identities, I found the name Nemo to be fitting since it instantly harked back to Jules Verne’s submarine captain in “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” In the novel, Nemo is a man trapped by what he loves, the serenity of the sea. For Dafoe, it’s the art he was trying to steal which imprisons him.
Since Nemo is the only character in this film, the only thing he can work off of is the penthouse which is so immaculately designed and filled with such personality that it’s essentially Dafoe’s scene partner. Thorsten Sabel’s production design is truly outstanding, with the artwork feeling so beautiful and constructive as it mocks Nemo’s predicament.
As part of Nemo’s journey into hell, he begins to make manic art of his own while he’s trying to escape using only a knife and the materials he can find in the penthouse since the owner isn’t exactly mechanically inclined. Essentially, he turns to art just to survive and what he creates is remarkable.
There’s so much beauty to be found in “Inside” with director of photography Steve Annis’ impeccable use of framing and focus. The way he shoots this film is outstanding to the point where many of the film’s frames could have been blown up and put in galleries.
Along with DaFoe’s incredible performance, it’s the script by Ben Hopkins and the direction by Vasilis Katsoupis, who came up with the film’s original story, that makes “Inside” such a fascinating film to not only watch, but to study. With so many limitations, true creativity emerges as these two took a thief, some paintings and a penthouse and made a thriller that rivals the work of David Fincher, Brian De Palma or even, dare I say, Alfred Hitchcock.
If you love these kinds of contained thrillers, this is a film that will sway you. The true tragedy is the film’s release date. Had “Inside” been released in November or December instead of in March, Willem Dafoe would surely be looking at his fifth Oscar nomination, perhaps even a much deserved win.
