Much more than you think!

Rating: 8/10 (4 November 1999)

I walked into an advanced screening of this film thinking it should be okay at best. Mann's last film "Heat" had all of this hype surrounding the casting of Deniro and Pacino. And a lot of people were left feeling let down by "Heat" (including myself), but this film the "Insider" draws you in like some type of cinematic whirlpool. I will not spoil the movie but merely state how this film affected me.
Russell Crowe gives a great layered performance as the main character. In the way he conveys the pressure he is being put through by the tobacco company, 60 minutes, his family and all sorts of other influences is almost painful but stunning to watch. At times I wanted to yell at the screen and say "will you just leave the guy alone". Truly a man against the world feeling. Pacino is very understated but powerful when the script calls for it. I thought he was very well cast as the producer for 60 minutes.
Another great aspect of this film is the way it lays bear the inside workings of the television and print media. I thought stock brokers werebrutal. Truly interesting to watch and to witness how a news story comes together.
Well all in all a great story with well acted characters through out this film. If you feel like being interested and educated by a film. Well the "Insider" is most definitely for you.