Murtada Elfadl Willem Dafoe defies classification. He appears in blockbusters and arthouse films, in lead roles or as part of an ensemble. What can be counted on is that he’ll add a dash of idiosyncratic malevolence to whatever part he’s playing. Whether he’s playing Christ, Antichrist or somewhere in between, there’s always something slightly off that makes him watchable. In “Inside,” director Vasilis Katsoupis provides him with a showcase part in what is essentially a one-man show that Dafoe carries with aplomb. Dafoe’s character is an art thief named Nemo. He is first shown breaking into a high-tech Manhattan apartment. He’s connected to someone on the outside via microphone. It’s clear they hacked into the apartment’s security system. The camera slowly reveals the apartment as an expensive and impeccably designed but sterile abode. Its colors are monochromatic in a mostly bluish hue, there’s an indoor pond and plants that look plastic. The few pops of color come from the art on the walls. Nemo’s there to steal a valuable Egon Schiele portrait which he can’t immediately locate. As he looks around the vast space, inspecting the many pieces of art, the security system malfunctions. He’s trapped inside this gilded cage. Before long he realizes that his cohorts are not coming to save him. Nor is anyone else. He’s on his own.
