Extraordinary movie, but not without problems

Rating: Null/10 (7 November 1999)

"The Insider" is the latest from "Vegas" and "Miami Vice"
creator Michael Mann. Mann's also known for his "Thief,"
"Manhunter," "The Last of the Mohicans," "The Keep," and
"Heat." He also won an Emmy for "The Jericho Mile." Mann has a terrific eye and style that is strongly reminiscent
of William Friedkin back when Friedkin was good, say, "Sorcerer" and "The Brink's Job." That is to say, he uses an extremely stylish mix of documentary techniques (hand-held cameras, quick cuts, occasional long stretches
of dialogue) and the more "cinematic" (fades, dream sequences, unnatural lighting). The visual sense of "the
Insider" is impeccable, thanks to the cinematography of
Dante Spinotti. Thematically, Mann's films usually involve an accomplished loner's attempts to maintain his
level of self-respect and professional expertise when the
world around him is changing.
Here, the story is interesting, albeit at about 2hrs and
45 minutes it's way too long. And structurally the film
has one big problem: the first two thirds of the movie
chronicle the conflicts-- he worries about his children,
his wife leaves him, he receives death threats, there are
implications that he considers suicide-- of tobacco scientist Dr. Jeff Rigand (played by Russell Crowe) going
public with his inside information by granting an interview to "60 Minutes." This portion of the film is
lyrical and beautiful-- Edward Hopper-like realism slowly
dissolves into memory and fantasy-- as it shows the interior state of conflict. However, once the decision is
made not to show the interview at 60 Minutes, the movie
becomes a parallel story of one producer's (Al Pacino)
fight to maintain journalistic integrity in a corporate
world. Although both stories are intriguing, after the
very slow, methodical, suspenseful build-up of the first
section of the film, the second seems rushed and not as
important-- there's a sort of a "been there, done that"
feel to that part of the film. And it doesn't help that
the film clearly considers the real hero to be Al Pacino--
the final (slow-motion) shot is of him resigning his position, bravely going out into the cold, mean streets,
turning up his collar, all to a lot of really loud music that doesn't match the rest of the film (think
of the music you hear every time Bob Hoskins shows up in
"The Long Good Friday"). The sequence that opens the film, with a hooded Pacino negotiating an interview with
Islamic fundamentalists, and then acting as an intermediary for 60 Minutes during the bickering that precedes the filming of that interview, doesn't really add
much to the overall flow, either. That is, the correlation is obvious, equating the terrorists with the
tobacco industry, and showing that it takes an intrepid,
ethical force to be heard by both sides, but the movie is
asking too much of the viewer to equate one man's personal (ethical and professional) conflicts with another man's professional conflicts.
This is a terrific, complex, intelligent film, filled with great performances (Christopher Plummer as Mike Wallace
and Russell Crowe as Dr. Rigand are sure to get Oscar nominations), brilliant direction and camerawork, that
works on all levels.