An intelligent, original, fact-based thriller

Rating: 10/10 (26 August 2003)

It is kind of creepy how closely Christopher Plummer mimics Mike Wallace. Not that they look terribly similar, but he truly embodies the veteran "60 Minutes" reporter in a terrific performance, and he's just the icing on the cake.
Russel Crowe, delivering another riveting performance (and Oscar-nominated) is Jeffrey Wigand, a scientist recently fired from the tobacco company he worked at because he figured out that nicotine is indeed addictive, while the company's official stance on the subject is otherwise. Crowe, with white hair and makeup, looks like hes in his fifties, but he was really only about 34. Honestly, I often forget just how young he is given his roles.
Al Pacino delivers the standard Pacino acting job as Lowell Bergman, the former "60 Minutes" producer who wants Wigand to be a whistle-blower. He understands that Wigand is being threatened, but he doesn't anticipate CBS not wanting to air the interview. This puts Wigand in danger, and destroys his family life in the process. Pacino doesn't really look or sound anything like the real Lowell Bergman, but his acting talent works for the movie anyway.
Michael Mann achieves another triumph with this fact-based account of recent history. He displays what some corporations will do to keep people quiet, and how network politics can ruin a life.