Product: The Insider [VHS] (1999)
Rating: 1.0
'The Insider' - Oh Dear..........
I find it very hard to review this film without the use of bad language, but I'll try. From start to finish this film was terrible - with a cast of uninteresting characters and an even more pathetic plot, I found it astonishing that this film has been nominated for 'Film of the Year'. What I found even more astonishing was that one of my all time heros - Pacino - was willing to star in this tripe. Of course, to be fair, I had nothing but praise for Pacino's performance - which helped to ease my suicidal urges through 157 minutes. The main problem of this film is Michael Mann's repeated failure to deliver - he repeatedly sets up a superb opportunity for a moment of interest or suspense only to let the audience down with an anti-climax. The idea of the plot being centered around a true story of an 'insider' willing to testify on public record should have been a worthy content for the film, but the way the story is told makes it almost too true to life - almost as if watching a bland documentary. Don't get me wrong - I don't believe all films need violence and guns to make excitement, but 'The Insider' was just too long with little or no moments of action for the audience to sit up and take interest. It is bad enough the film being plain boring, but 157 minutes of this is just ridiculous, and it is about time films are reviewed with the truth in mind and therefore pathetic attempts like this will never be nominated for best film of the year. It will be a cold day in hell before I ever watch any more of Mann's work.