THE INSIDER **** (out of five stars) A review by Jamey Hughton
Starring-Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, Christopher Plummer, Diane Venora, Philip Baker Hall and Debi Mazar Director-Michael Mann Rated 14A Touchstone
MOVIE VIEWS by Jamey Hughton http://Welcome.to/MovieViews
`The Insider', a riveting dramatization of the events that occurred in the tobacco wars of 1995, is a movie of rare superiority. While some movies merely present the facts, `The Insider' involves the viewer with them, to such a point that it feels as if we're watching a real-life simulation rather than a movie. It's about as absorbing as a film of this genre can be.
Capturing your attention from minute one, director Michael Mann proceeds to masterfully craft the story of a former tobacco company employee named Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe), who reveals to the CBS program `60 Minutes' how cigarettes are being illegally enhanced by chemicals to make them more addictive. `60 Minutes' producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino) first approaches Wigand for his knowledge in another matter, but after the continued threatening of his family and health plan, Wigand makes the crucial decision to expose the secrets that his boss originally withheld while testifying before congress. It's an engrossing story that captivates your interest, both in the aspects of journalism and it's compelling human details.
Crowe is superb as Wigand, who is shown as a thoughtful family man committed to his job. All of the key scenes involving Wigand's shocking revelation - namely, a courtroom sequence and the `60 Minutes' interview itself - are pure dynamite. Crowe digs deep within the character to give the audience an accurate personification of his complicated situation. He and Pacino compliment each other in such a miraculous fashion, as if to suggest the two actors have worked together on several projects previous to this one. Both Crowe and Pacino deserve to be recognized by the Academy come nomination time.
The interview with the tobacco industry insider never ran, because of the possible lawsuit that could have resulted. CBS pulled the plug in fear of a tobacco company takeover, and Wigand was infuriated because he had risked his life and social stature and felt manipulated by Bergman and the `60 Minutes' crew. Afterward, the story ran in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, and Bergman resigned from CBS due to the future complications that would arise with new stories.
If `The Insider' has one deficiency, it's the matter of it's elongated running length, which clocks in around the vicinity of 2 hours and 40 minutes. The dramatic thrust of the story almost becomes too overwhelming and convoluted. After the two hour mark, the amount of interest declined on my part. Undeniably though, for a movie to attain that amount of fascination and involvement for such a time span is quite remarkable. Backed by stellar performances, Mann (who previously teamed with Pacino for the action film `Heat') directs at the top of his form.
In the supporting category, virtually everyone contributes. Diane Venora is excellent as Wigand's estranged wife. As `60 Minutes' news correspondent Mike Wallace, Christopher Plummer reinvents the word `intensity' with exceptional ferocity, and Philip Baker Hall delivers as executive producer Don Hewitt. There are several moments that jump right off the screen, namely an electrifying courtroom sequence in which a heated attorney (Bruce McGill, terrific in a tiny role) defends Wigand by verbally attacking an opposing representative. If you exert a fair amount of patience and understanding, you'll be glued to your seat during `The Insider'.
At first, the premise of `The Insider' didn't strike as one that could be this enthralling. Nonetheless, I was hardly bored with the film, even during it's periodic lulls of detailed investigation. It's just so invigorating to have a true story told with such bracing skill as `The Insider', and it's also quite refreshing, because few thrillers of modern day cinema are this self-involved.
It's a full-fledged dramatic powerhouse that deserves to be mentioned at the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony. I'm sure the real Lowell Bergman and Jeffrey Wigand would approve.
(C) 1999, Jamey Hughton
MOVIE VIEWS by Jamey Hughton http://Welcome.to/MovieViews
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