An exciting look at a disturbing story

Rating: 9/10 (23 December 1999)

The Insider succeeds as a thriller while tackling the difficult job of a controversial news story. It is about Jeffrey Wigand, the Brown & Williamson executive who wanted to tell of Big Tobacco's lies to CBS' 60 Minutes, and that network's refusal to air the story. Russell Crowe gives a fantastic performance that not only should be remembered at Oscar time, but should guarantee that he will become one of the top actors in the future. Al Pacino is very good (as usual) as Lowell Bergman, the renegade producer who fights with CBS and Wigand in order to save Wigand's story. Christopher Plummer mimics Mike Wallace perfectly, and the rest of the cast are all good. But most of all, it is Michael Mann's direction that makes this film work. It moves at a frenetic pace, and pushes the audience to feel the tension and frustration of the story. This film has not performed well financially, and that's sad; audiences may feel that they already know this story. That's too bad - The Insider is a terrific film which will be remembered for years to come.