A good film, but not a great film

Rating: 7/10 (25 February 2000)

The Insider is certainly worth seeing. It tells a fascinating story, boasts an impressive cast and is competently directed. But that is all.

Those people who have posted reviews on this site paying tribute to Michael Mann's genius' and claiming to have burst into tears' during the film, are obviously easily impressed (and/or emotionally unstable). Don't get me wrong. This is a good film, it's just not a great one.

The film's main asset is, obviously, the true story upon which it is based. The lengths to which tobacco companies are prepared to go to suppress information and distort the truth was always going to make captivating viewing. The question is, did the director capitalise on this and create an exceptional film? I don't thing he did.
Michael Mann's directorial style reminds me of a kid who just got a new tool box for Christmas, but doesn't know how to use any of them. The film is DRENCHED with dramatic pauses', meaningful slo mo's' and moving classical scores.' Although such devices are often PRESENT in great films, they don't MAKE a film great. It just depends on how they're used. In this case, Michael Mann simply threw them in everywhere in the hope that people would walk out saying 
`I mean, like, wow! How good was that bit where the guy took 15 minutes to peel off his coat? It was just so DEEP!'
If anything, the overuse of these devices gave the film a slightly clinical, colourless feel, which detracted from its emotional impact. I kept sitting there thinking I really SHOULD feel sorry for Jeffrey Wigand, but I just can't seem to empathise with him.'
As for individual performances, I thought the stand out was Christopher Plummer. His portrayal of veteran 60 minutes anchorman, Mike Wallace, was superb.
Russell Crowe was solid as Jeffrey Wigand, but didn't live up to the hype. Although the make-up team deserves full credit for ageing him twenty years (and Russell himself did well to stack on 10 or so kilos for the part), the acting itself was only fair. Those of you who saw his brilliant performance in LA Confidential are bound to be disappointed.
Al Pacino did well playing 60 minutes producer Lowell Bergman', but it was a fairly two-dimensional role  tenacious, old school newsman, who plays it by the book and never breaks his word.' All you really needed for the part was a good voice and a haggard face. Al Pacino has these qualities in spades.
The only other performance worth mentioning was Diane Venora's portrayal of Jeffrey Wigand's wife. I thought she was dreadful. I have no idea what type of accent she was trying to pull off, but whatever it was, she failed.
In summary, The Insider is a very solid film. If you haven't seen it, I urge you to  not because its brilliantly made, but because it tells an important story.