Nemo, a high-end art thief, is trapped in a New York penthouse after his heist doesn’t go as planned. Locked inside with nothing but priceless works of art, he must use all his cunning and invention to survive.
If ever a film has allowed an actor to display his full and unsanctimonious range, “Inside” has unapologetically given the golden ticket to Willem Dafoe. With the underlying theme of “Art is For Keeps,” director Vasilis Katsoupis has provided a living and breathing character sketch of human artistry, a self-portrait of insanity. In this panoramic view of desperation, priceless masterpieces serve far beyond the canvas frames in which they are displayed as they expand into radical and inferior memes which carry the plot throughout the entire film.
As the film opens, high-end art thief Nemo (Willem Defoe) and his sidekick, Number 3 (Andrew Blumenthal), have devised an intricate plan for a heist inside a New York penthouse owned by a meticulous Art Collector (Gene Bervoets). As Nemo works the inside, Number 3 is on the walkie-talkie, navigating the famous Self-Portrait’s whereabouts, worth millions of dollars. As the clock ticks, the conversation becomes contentious as Nemo fails to locate the piece of art, and Number 3 pressures him to find it. In a stunning turn, Nemo requests the code to get out, and it fails, causing Nemo to become trapped inside as Number 3 abandons him indefinitely. In the sobering moments that follow, Nemo desperately tries to find a way out while trying to convince himself that the situation isn’t happening. As his mind races back and forth, he remembers being asked a pertinent question in the past about what three things he would take in case of a fire, and one of the things, a sketchbook, becomes the backdrop that pushes this psychological drama to its limits.
As the film progresses, Nemo makes it a point to take inventory of what is available to him concerning food and resources. As he learns every nook and cranny of the penthouse, he makes a point of tapping into his inner survivalist to maintain his sanity while planning his exit. As the days drag on, Nemo’s sanity starts to wane along with the available resources. As his passion turns into self-pity, he begins to entertain himself with optical illusions as well as the presence of a cleaning lady, Jasmine (Eliza Stuyck), who he can’t get the attention of, and a pigeon on the outside who has seemingly lost his way too. In the end, Nemo’s plight seems futile; however, his nomadic approach to life as an artist keeps the adrenalin pumping with high hopes of his release from this physical and emotional imprisonment.
Director Katsoupis has done an outstanding job of running extreme parallels against a backdrop that straddles the fence between insanity and brilliance. By casting a profound actor such as Dafoe, he has given merit to the art of creativity, as well as the art of destruction. In doing so, however, a great deal was lost in translation as the audience was led into believing there was a plausible way out as a means of redemption for the powerful performance. Yet, the carriage of justice refused to give it the honor it deserved.
In Theaters Friday, March 17th
