Well acted and directed, but poorly paced down the stretch.

Rating: 8/10 (3 March 2007)

Michael Mann's 'The Insider' is directed with technical precision and skillfully acted by numerous veterans in this well-made drama about the exposure of the tobacco industry.
The film follows Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) & Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino). Wigand is a scientist who is fired after he finds out that the tobacco company he works for, chemically alters nicotine. Bergman is a producer for the CBS show '60 Minutes' who entices Wigand to speak out against the tobacco industry. Based on the Larie Brenner article 'The Man Who Knew Too Much', Eric Roth & Michael Mann write a thorough and enticing screenplay.
Russell Crowe gives his best performance to date. His subtle and heartfelt performance anchors the film. Gaining ? pounds and greying his hair, Crowe transforms himself into this sympathetic character. We feel his anguish and pain. Al Pacino gives an underrated performance as Lowell Bergman. He is efficient & gets the job done, but he truly cares about the stories he works on and Pacino shows this perfectly. Crowe and Pacino play their parts perfectly and their character chemistry is great. Christopher Plummer gives a good, albeit overrated performance as Mike Wallace. Diane Venora gives a natural, underrated performance. Her chemistry with Russell Crowe and emotional depth give the film a heart. Philip Baker Hall, Gina Gershon, and Colm Feore add veteran backup. This is an efficient cast, but the film loses steam when Crowe, Pacino, or Venore aren't on screen together.
The cinematography, sound mixing, and editing gives the film a documentary feel to it. Michael Mann's rapid, fast-paced editing succeeds in making the film seem shorter than it actually is. Mann uses very small things to develop tension in between characters. The films only fault is the pacing down the line. It feels like it has several endings. But just as soon as it starts dragging, a key encounter occurs that grips you back into the film. This is a surprise because Heat & Collateral were expertly paced.
All in All, this is a film that is well acted and directed, but poorly paced down the stretch.