Product: The Insider [VHS] (1999)
Rating: 5.0
Michael Mann does it again
After his last great movie Heat, Michael has made another fantastic film. The Insider does take some liberties with the facts, but that doesn't matter one bit. When two heavy-hitters like Russell Crowe and Al Pacino get to square off, that alone makes it worth-watching. Michael has composed a riveting suspense film, which made me forget my life for 2 hours, and I didn't look at my watch once, the true litmus test for how good a movie is. The story is tightly written, with no dull spots, and excellent character development. The acting is completely flawless. Russell Crowe is positively phenomenal, he gets all the mannerisms of his character down, and I actually cared about what happened to him. Al Pacino just gives another in a long line of great performances, as the 60 minutes producer. I have always loved Mann because he is a stylistic magnificent director, as showcased here. I especially liked the driving range scene, great stuff. Combined with Dante Spinotti's camerawork, which is also incredible, the picture is technically excellent. The conclusion of the review will go like this, there is no reason not to see it, it has big stars, a great director, and is entertaining. Not much more needs to be said.