Product: The Insider [VHS] (1999)
Rating: 5.0
a war on drugs
4 years after the fact, I sat down to watch "The Insider" halfway expecting to see a small part of my life be mangled by Hollywood. Instead, Michael Mann (director of Heat most recently) deftly creates an intreguing story out of what could easily have been a dry subject. While there are definite departures from the reality of the situations (I was a freshman at the high school Jeffrey Wigand taught at when the story broke and I CERTAINLY would have recalled Russell Crowe running about Manual's halls :), Mann uses the story of Wigand the tobacco whistleblower who stands up to big tobacco in the name of science and morality and the TV producer who will do anything to get it to the public (Al Pacino) to raise serious questions about the meaning of loyalty, honesty and the idea of a modern hero. Crowe turns a powerful performance as the flawed but well-meaning Wigand and Pacino is searing as 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergmann. Also notable is Christopher Plummer's dead-accurate portrayal of TV legend Mike "try Mr." Wallace. And as to the location? It's as genuine as the local Smith's Furniture ad in the background of one scene.