Fantastic film; realism at its best

Rating: 9/10 (3 December 1999)

_The Insider_ was riveting and tense; a beautiful portrayal of ordinary human lives in extraordinary circumstances. It would have been harder to watch had I not known it was a true story, simply because the plot and sequences were not as neat as in a fiction-based film. The lack of 'neatness' keeps you always aware of the reality of the story. The performances by Pacino, Crowe, and Plummer were breathtaking, and worthy of Oscar recognition.