Product: The Insider [VHS] (1999)
Rating: 5.0
SLICK, MESMERIZING THRILLER WITH BIG BOLD QUESTIONS.
If there ever was a list of utterly absorbing films, this would be right up there. What a riveting piece of drama, from Lisa Gerrard's haunting score to the mesmerizing cinematography of Mike Mann in form.Al Pacino and Russel Crowe have such intensity you almost feel your veins pop. The conspiracy theory tinged sub-themes are thrillers as it is (big network, big tyke tobacco players, big journalist, strong-arm tactics of corporations, marital relations amidst stressful jobs, etc.) but their rendition in the immaculate screenplay make them even more powerful!A word about the DVD. Although it has a couple of interesting extras, including glimpses of some of the real characters, the DD 5.1-only soundtrack is a tad disappointing. Except for a couple of early scenes, one in a cafeteria and one with rain, there is virtually no sound in the rear channels. Not up to today's standards for 5.1 sound. Hopefully a newer version of the DVD would have a better transfer.Regardless of the minor gripe, the film itself is fantastic. I'd recommend this as a library item in a blink.