Product: The Insider [VHS] (1999)
Rating: 5.0
Very moving, even if it contains jarring elements.
One critic said of American Beauty in relation to the Oscar nominations: "This is the one nominated film that gels on its own (flawed) terms".This comment actually applies more to The Insider. Director Michael Mann deserves much of the credit for this film's artistic merit and crackling-sharp narrative drive and characterizations, but it's also on this film that some of Mann's strengths become weaknesses:The look of the film is a little too slick, shot in the same style as Heat (no surprise, with cinematographer Dante Spinotti helming both films). Some of the editing is baffling, with an unusual number of continuity breaks, and the predominance of the handheld camera isn't my cup of tea. There's also a bit of overuse of rack-focus shots, resulting in them losing their power over a two-and-a-half-hour film. And I still can't understand why Mann persists in using Diane Venora; even in a fairly straightforward long-suffering-woman role here she rings false, always trying to burst into tears in every scene and trying to upstage everyone else, but only succeeding in making herself look ridiculous, and damaging the character's credibility.But as an organic whole, The Insider still succeeds grandly. Mann deserves a standing ovation for the performances he ellicits from his two leads, Al Pacino and Russell Crowe. Crowe, as Dr. Jeffrey Wigand, is obviously a low-key marvel, letting his anger boil beneath the surface, and throwing himself headlong into the desolation of the role. It is Pacino who surprises, though, erasing all memories of his hammy '90s performances with an intense, heartfelt portrayal of 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman. The final 20 minutes belong to Pacino (with small help from an excellent Christopher Plummer as Mike Wallace) and he shines brighter than he has since the Godfather films. Just for this white-knuckle sequence alone (Bergman's last, desperate struggle to air the story) the film is worth it -- action filmmaking without violence, first-rate tension and drama. Mann realizes that dramatic power hinges on raising the stakes as high as possible, and his intensification of plot points lends the story immense power.And then there's the thematic weight. This film succeeds in realizing its sociological ambition, provoking thought as to the power of the media, the fragile contract between the journalist and the contact, and corporate hierarchies. While American Beauty was the better film, The Insider achieves a supreme degree of political significance and grandiosity of scope. For that, I bow to Michael Mann in reverence.