THE INSIDER A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 1999 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2
In a picture that deserves to be remembered at Oscar time, THE INSIDER tells a mesmerizing, true story that's in equal measure drama, thriller and mystery. Directed by Michael Mann (THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS) and starring Russell Crowe (L.A. CONFIDENTIAL) and Al Pacino, all three of whom should be nominated by the Academy, the film has your eyes glued to the screen as it examines some universal truths about integrity and risk.
With never a dull moment, the story still manages to take the time to consider the entirety of people's lives and families and delve into the minutia of a journalistic investigation. The movie will and should be compared favorably to the classic journalistic investigation story, ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN.
Brilliantly scripted by Eric Roth, based on a magazine article by Marie Brenner titled "The Man Who Knew Too Much," and containing a sterling supporting cast, the movie has only one possible flaw -- it's longer than normal at over two and a half hours. Its length, however, turns out to be both necessary and beneficial. Any scene that looks like cinematic fat will prove later to be a key to setting up other parts of the story. In most movies the characters have either a work life or a home life, but not both. This film takes the time to show both, and their interactions prove essential to understanding the motivation of the protagonists.
The story concerns one Dr. Jeffrey Wigand (Crowe), the former head of research at Brown and Williamson Tobacco. A proud man of high integrity, Dr. Wigand has been fired by the company, who is scared that he will break his confidentiality agreement and reveal certain hidden truths about the company.
Michael Gambon does a deliciously sinister turn as Thomas Sandefur, the CEO of Brown and Williamson and Dr. Wigand's direct boss. Sandefur, who testified with 6 other Big Tobacco executives before Congress that tobacco is not addictive, takes an ostrich approach to facts that aren't to his liking. "You declare as a badge of honor that you don't even know what makes water boil," Dr. Wigand ridicules him.
The whole situation is extremely complex as real life situations tend to be. Dr. Wigand does not want to do anything to jeopardize his severance package and the medical insurance that the company has promised. He has 2 beautiful young girls (Hallie Kate Eisenberg and Renee Olstead), whom he adores, but one has asthma, which requires expensive medical care. His trophy wife (Linda Hart) becomes chilly toward him as soon as his income dries up and his troubles begin.
Meanwhile "60 Minutes" producer Lowell Bergman (Pacino) wants to get the doctor on the show and have him interviewed by veteran journalist Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer). Pacino is perfectly cast as the hard-charging reporter who'll do anything so long as it doesn't jeopardize his source. Bergman is as tough and honest as they come.
Nearing retirement, Wallace comes across as possessing good intentions but fatal flaws as he worries too often about "other considerations." Chief among these considerations is that the tobacco companies, who possess the most sophisticated and powerful attorneys on the face of the earth, will bring down his entire company, CBS. "History only remembers what you did last," he laments.
As a slimy lawyer with possible conflicts of interests, Gina Gershon plays CBS's lawyer, Helen Caperelli, who advises "60 Minutes" not to run the Wigand segment lest the company end up losing a multi-billion dollar law suit and being owned by Brown and Williamson.
While all of this fascinating corporate intrigue is going on, Dr. Wigand's life is falling apart. He's getting anonymous death threats, he's being followed, and his life is crumbling all around him. Crowe with his physical mannerisms makes palpable the tenseness of the situation. Constantly adjusting his glasses, fiddling with his tie and twitching his head, Dr. Wigand is a lonely man who is breaking under the strain.
The suitably ominous but never overpowering music by Pieter Bourke and Lisa Gerrard add immensely to the production. Dante Spinotti's moody, shadowy cinematography lends an ominous feeling of impending doom.
"I'm running out of heroes, man," Bergman tells Dr. Wigand. "Guys like you are in short supply." The movie makes it obvious why. Dr. Wigand realizes, correctly, that to agree to be interviewed he has to be willing to risk everything, literally everything, in his life. If you have a loving family and expensive possessions, would you be willing to chance losing them all forever, just because your integrity demanded it? For most of us it's not a tough call. In reality, most of us would pass. It is for just that reason that this film, with its superlative acting, becomes so engrossing.
THE INSIDER runs 2:37. It is rated R for language and mature themes and would be fine for teenagers.
Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com
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