The Insider

The Insider As is my wont, let's get one or two things out of the way at the outset. Is this Al Pacino on top form? Perhaps not. Is Crowe's performance a bit mannered? Perhaps. Is (the always brilliant and usually underrated) Diane Venora a slightly unsympathetic Leanne Wigand? Almost certainly. But none of this matters because Mann has his eyes fixed firmly on a bigger prize, the prize of effectively, dramatically and ultimately, successfully recounting a version of one of the most important fables to the human condition. An earlier version of it might be the biblical take of man who crossed the road, 'The Good Samaritan'. This late version is all the more important because it is based on actual events. The Insider tells the true story of tobacco company scientist and corporate whistle-blower Jeffery Wigand (Russell Crowe) and his decision to 'tell the truth', thereby unleashing the full force of corporate spite against him and his unsuspecting family. Lowell Bergman (Pacino) is the producer of American news show 60 Minutes, who has fanned the flames of Wigand's desire to 'do the right thing' against all odds and who has promised to help get the story out into the open. Wigand and Bergman respectively consider themselves scientist and journalist in the best senses, but the rug is pulled from beneath them both as they progressively discover that doing the right thing means alienating themselves from the world they thought they knew. Both men end up losing virtually everything but they retain their 'honour' and ultimately exhibit a heroic if quiet morality, which Michael Mann's film throws into sharp relief by juxtaposing it with the conduct of all around the two men. The supporting cast (especially Christopher Plummer) is astounding and the way in which Mann's direction uses the camera, editing, sound and the actors' performances to convey the inner conflict that each man faces- the choice between being true to oneself and ones profession (a recurring theme in almost all Mann's work) and compromising to protect not only your own interests but those of your loved ones- as well as the considerable external obstacles. '''You are an anarchist !' Pacino's boss yells at him. In the end Wigand wrecks his own life and Bergman burns all his bridges to get the truth out, leading to one of the most satisfying conclusions in all Cinema (in my opinion). There is no sex or violence (a staple of most modern cinema, particular that of Michael Mann) but your senses are constantly assaulted throughout the film as the tension never lets up. This in my opinion is Mann's best film (and the others are pretty great) displaying most clearly the values he always refers to In his films. Its in my top 5.

Enjoyed the film

A long film but worth the concentration needed ,about an expose of the US tobacco industry with great acting from Russell Crowe and Al Pacino. My only disappointment is that this DVD comes only with Italian and Polish sub-titles, as I am now a bit hard of hearing and the subtitles are a great help I was however able to see the full film with English subtitles on youTube , I will keep the film in my collection as it is so good .

The storyline is good and the acting excellent as you would expect. The dvd we were sent had Italian subtitles throughout so that had an impact on the rating. Some of the camera work is strange - almost bodycam footage in short takes and I didn’t enjoy it. The film portrays just how difficult it can be to stand up against a large organisation and to what lengths they will go. A good film but it didn’t leave me thinking I will watch it again sometime.

This is good. Two of our best serious actors, Russell Crowe and Al Pacino ably supported by Christopher Plumber and Michael Gambon in a very important story. So this is about the tobacco industry - very big business. And watching this film for the first time so long after it was hot news means I am watching it from a different perspective because I know what happened afterwards. The same situation could and probably has occurred about different subjects since then. An expert team have put the whole thing together very well, it is shot in a documentary style which suits the subject matter admirably. Oh and the happy ending is knowing that Doctor Wigand made a very successful school teacher in his chosen subject - science.

Good film with good acting - I gave it 9/10

The film though using dramatic licence to beef-up the on-screen story is based on real events. 'Jeff Wigand' (Russell Crowe) a research biologist had been let-go by Tobacco-Giant 'Brown and Williamson' but, in return for generous severance-pay had been asked to sign a confidentiaiity clause preventing him making public what he knew in regards to addictive substances in the products sold. However, CBS's 60 minute Journalist 'Lowell Bergman' (Al Pacino) realizes there to be a bigger story than he'd first thought when 'Jeff' refuses to talk to him. After a series of assurances 'Lowell' persuades 'Jeff' to agree to be interviewed which will lead to further strains upon his already shaky marriage. With treats hanging over him from the Tobacco-Giant he goes ahead. However, CBS is/ about to be taken over by Westinghouse who express concerns over probable legal moves costing millions by the Tobacco-Giants, the 60-minute bosses cave-in and with-hold he airing of the interview causing much stress to 'Jeff' and much anger from 'Lowell' and indeed his colleague at CBS 'Mike Wallace' (Christopher Plummer) Will the CEO's of the Tobacco-Giants get away with perjury or will the truth finally be told? A very well made movie from Michael Mann that will keep you glued to the screen as the story unfolds.

I saw this film a few years ago, and thought it was outstanding. A true story told brilliantly, One of Russell Crowe's early film's, and is a great match for old timer Al Pacino. Great story and fantastic acting from everyone. Marvellous.

今回は大変お世話になりました。またの機会もどうぞよろしくお願いいたします。

Also in diesem Film stimmt schlicht und ergreifend alles. Die Darstellung des Dr. Jeffrey Wigands durch Russell Crowe dürfte mit zu seinen besten schauspielerischen Leistungen neben seiner Rolle als John Nash in A Beautiful Mind gehören. Absolut perfekt bis ins detail gespielt, da muss man wirklich drauf achten! Neben den exzellenten Schauspielern muss man noch den Regisseur Michael Mann loben. Mann hat eine etwas ungewöhnliche Art der Kameraführung, die stellenweise alles realistischer, besonders in emotionalen Szenen, erscheinen lässt. Eine wirklich interessante Optik. Falls jemand Collateral gesehen hat, der weiß was ich meine, dort hat Michael Mann auch sein Händchen für eine ungewöhnliche Optik bewiesen. Diese Bilder werden sehr gut durch den hervorragenden Soundtrack untermalt, der die Stimmung des schweren langen Wegs des Dr. Wigands gut transportiert. Das ist auch genau das Beste an diesem Film, das die Fakten im wesendlichen der Wahrheit entsprechen und zeigen wie Dr. Wigand einen aussichtslosen Kampf gegen Big Tabacco geführt hat, der ihm fast das Genick gebrochen hätte, weil er sich verantwortlich fühlte, die Menschen vor dem sehr gefährlichen Inhaltsstoffen des Tabaks zu warnen und nicht kassiert und geschwiegen hat. Mich hat der Film so sehr beeindruckt, das ich mich danach über Dr. Wigand informiert habe und sogar Festellen musste, dass er sogar genau wie im Film aussieht, ein wirklich beeindruckender Mann !

Altro capolavoro della cinematografia di Mann, stavolta immerso in un film di denuncia contro l'industria del tabacco, corruzione e mala informazione. Cast stellare con Al Pacino, Russel Crowe e Christopher Plummer, film veramente bello e particolarmente riflessivo. Qualità video accettabile in quanto DVD, l'audio è un dolby digital 5.1, buono il doppiaggio in italiano (a differenza di quello di oggi). Edizione DVD standard plastificato, non ho trovato il blu ray in versione italiana e questa è una cosa che non accetto assolutamente, perché dobbiamo essere sempre noi quelli a cui toccano le versione mediocri? Mi pare di stare parlando di un film famoso, recente, e invece per la maggior parte delle volte dobbiamo subire versioni scadenti con audio altrettanto mediocre. Prendiamo esempio dao tedeschi che pur non vivendo di doppiaggio come noi (e questo è un bene), nella maggior parte dei film rimasterizzati o recenti sfornano un Atmos 7.1 dts-hd master audio. Prezzo sempre stracciato su Amazon e spedizione veloce.

Well, it's official. Michael Mann has now become one of my favorite directors. He has directed three of my favorite films: Heat, The Insider, & Collateral. Although I'm bit more for the styles of Stanley Kubrick & Tim Burton, I still admire Mann's own. His way of bringing realistic drama into his own films is a very intriguing (not to mention satisfying) experience. The flow, the realistic environments, and the refreshingly adult content that surrounds his motion pictures is something that should be fully understood especially in today's cinema. Almost every scene is an example of visual poetry: the shootout in Heat, the coyote in Collateral, the waterfall in The Last of the Mohicans, etc. The man really knows how to make a great film, and The Insider is proof of that. Made ten years ago by Touchstone, this political thriller deals with two subjects: the tobacco industry and the media. However, this doesn't move like an action adventure, complete with Colt Commandos and car chases and governmental technology. No, this moves like a Nelson DeMille thriller. It's all about dialogue, character development, and lack of glorification of any sort. This is a compelling human drama that never succumbs to melodramatic overtones. The movie is based on the true story of Jeffrey Wigand (played brilliantly by Russell Crowe), who at the time was Vice President for a tobacco company called Brown & Williamson. He has been terminated from his job, and "60 Minutes" producer Lowell Bergman (played amazingly by Al Pacino) suspects that this has to do with the whistleblower policy. The two eventually meet and Wigand explains to Bergman why he was fired. This becomes an official story for "60 Minutes," while it leads to Wigand into a courtroom where he tells the truth about Brown & Williamson. This is only the beginning. The tobacco industry starts to fight back at Wigand and "60 Minutes," and it's only a matter of chance that our two heroes will succeed in telling the truth. As I said before, Crowe and Pacino are absolutely excellent here. While not exactly looking similar to the real Wigand and Bergman, it looks like they've got the personas down to a T. The supporting cast is close to perfection. Christopher Plummer, Philip Baker Hall, Diane Venora, Colm Feore, Gina Gershon, Michael Gambon, and Bruce McGill give wonderful performances. I especially love McGill's rant during the courtroom scene: that REALLY shut his opponent up, didn't it? But I think the best thing about this movie is the script. There is solid dialogue throughout, and it really sounds like how real people would say things. Eric Roth and Michael Mann should be given props for this screenwriting. It's a shame they didn't win an Oscar, though. You know, I could go on praising this film even more, but Amazon has its limits when it comes to customer reviews. So I'll just finish by saying that this is a deeply powerful film about the tobacco industry and the media. It's a film that makes you think, makes you see through harsh reality, makes you want to see more from Mann, Pacino, and Crowe. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and I think you will, too. Grade: A

Uno de los mejores thrillers sociales que se hayan hecho. Muy buena, y una de la últimas actuaciones verdaderamente relevantes de Pacino.