Cinema at its very best

Rating: 10/10 (13 March 2000)

There are moments in life you never forget. I had such moments when seeing "The Insider". Though the storyline doesn't sound really exciting at first, it was a great surprise to find that Michael Mann has made a drama of overwhelming intensity and quality. The fact, that of all current "based on a true story"- Hollywood films "The Insider" is the one which stirred up
controversy the least, also shows that Mann was very precise in the treatment of the facts (note: there is no criticism of "The Hurricane" and "Boys Don't Cry" intended, simply because I haven't seen them yet and I don't forget that in adapting a true story for cinema it's simply necessary to compromise). "The Insider" convinces in nearly every detail: Manns direction is straight to the point and always finds the appropriate tone. There's always a feeling of danger and threat in his film, keeping the tension on a high level. Also worth to mention is how the film deals with questions on integrity and responsibility. Its depiction of the working procedures of the american corporation system is accurate and as Russell Crowe has put it in the Sunday Times interview, it is miles away from the paranoid conspiracy theories of the likes of Oliver Stone. That brings me to the actors: the supporting actors -among them Christopher Plummer and Philip Baker Hall (also to be seen in "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Magnolia") - are all very good and Al Pacino does a good job as Lowell Bergman, but the one who beats them all is Russell Crowe as Jeffrey Wigand. Crowe (who was already great in L.A.Confidential) is simply outstanding! I honestly think that Russell Crowe should get the oscar and not Kevin Spacey (well, Spacey is great in American Beauty, but he already got an academy award for The Usual Suspects). To me "The Insider" is just a perfect film and I already consider it as one of my alltime favourites. It is a real gem, flawless, essential. The very best film of the year. A well deserved 10! Can't wait to get on it DVD.