Product: The Insider [VHS] (1999)
Rating: 4.0
Must See
If there is one thing I have learned in my life, it is this--go see Al Pacino movies.The Insider is the story that went on behind the scenes of the big 60 Minutes scandal when they refused to air a show which blew the lid off of tobacco companies for fear of being sued.What this film has are some great performances by some incredible actors. They should show this film to aspiring actors. You are truly watching some great people at work here. The story is very interesting, and the unique style of the film gives it much more a doccumentary feel than the normal "based on a true story" tale. You will be riveted, and even though you basically know how it will end, you will still be very interested to find out why it ends that way.What this film does not have is a lack of footage. Or running time. Or whatever you want to call it--this film is long. Too long. I often criticize films for running too long, and this one runs about thrity minutes too long. There are a lot of establishing shots which seem to be beating the auidence over the head. Yeah, we get the point, everyone involved is a tortured soul. A little extra editing and this would have been a much tighter film, and possibly a 5X film.The Insider is a film that I hope is remembered come Oscar time. It is truly one of the best films I have seen all year. I can't imagine someone not liking it, but I can imagine some people getting tired at its long running length. If you had trouble making it through Titanic or Braveheart at the theatre, give this one a rental.