Clive Owen Is On A Roll

With a resume that includes "Closer," "The Bourne Indentity," "Sin City" and "Gosford Park," Clive Owen has gained a reputation as one of the most talented actors working today. In his latest movie "Inside Man," he plays a bank robber caught in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a police detective played by Denzel Washington.

Appearing on The Early Show, the actor told co-anchor Harry Smith about this new thriller.

"It's a classic heist movie," said Owen of his character Dalton Russell, who attempts to pull off the perfect crime. "It's a bit of a throwback movie. The man pulls up outside the bank. The guys get out. We take the bank over. But very quickly you realize everything isn't quite as it seems. As the thing develops, it's a very, very clever bank job and things keep changing. Denzel Washington plays the cop who is constantly keeping up with me, trying to keep ahead of the game."

The exchanges between Owen's villain and his Washington's good guy are the centerpiece of the movie, which was filmed in New York City. "Denzel Washington is, I think, is one of the great leading men of the last few years," said Owen. "I think he's a brilliant actor. The whole experience was great. I mean, shooting a movie in New York with Spike Lee, Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster. I had a fantastic time."

Just a few years ago, Owen was just another actor trying to make a name for himself. More recently, he's appeared in several much-talked-about movies like "Closer" with Julia Roberts, ensemble thriller "Sin City," and "Derailed" with Jennifer Aniston, all of which have helped catapult him to leading man status.

The Golden Globe-winning actor is enjoying his recent string of high-profile films. "I'm having such an amazing time," he said. "For me, success has always been about trying to work with the best people. You look at a film like this and from everybody, the director and all the actors, and I feel very lucky and privileged just to be a part of it."

Much to the dismay of his adoring female fans, Owen spends much of the film wearing a mask. "That was one reservation about taking it on is that he, for a lot of the movie, has to be masked," said Owen. "No one can see the guy's face. So I said to Spike, 'we'll get somebody else to play it and I'll voice it.' But you do get to do things."

Owen also experienced Lee's technique of shooting with two cameras. "It's very unusual and really fantastic," he said. Lee's practice, he says, "is brilliant for actors, because you're both on all the time, so anything can happen. You can go with anything because you're both being shot."

Even harried phone call scenes between bank robber and cop were shot in real time. "We had a lot of phone calls where we were on two sets where Denzel was on the other end of the phone," he said. "We had two crews and we shot the phone calls live."

This intense filming technique may have contributed to the vividness of the film. "I think what it is, the directors of photography, they don't like doing that because it's very hard to shoot in both directions and make both people look good," he said. "But I think Spike loves it so much and says, this is the deal. Can you take it on?"

"He's like the man," said Owen of his "Inside Man" director. "I walk around the town with Spike and people love that guy."

Before cinching the movie deal, actor and director went to a New York Knicks game. Lee is a fanatic fan. "He is the king of Madison Square Garden," he said. "He's part of the show."