Product: The Insider [VHS] (1999)
Rating: 5.0
Dramatic Dynamite!
'Expert Craftsmanship' is the only way to describe this movie. Sublime performances by Al Pacino and Christopher Plummer. But Russell Crowe does more than prove he is a good actor and creates an astonishing characterization of Jeffrey Wigand, he really gets under this guy's skin and ultimately 'becomes' Wigand. Great use of sound and editing, the hand-held cinematography created an extremely realistic and intense atmosphere, also great background music. There are some truly awe-inspiring scenes, one of these such scenes is when Wigand is sitting alone in his hotel room and Lowell Bergman (Pacino) is on a beach trying to get him on the phone, and then we see the walls of the hotel room remind Wigand of what he loved most and lost. Attention to detail and expert direction by Michael Mann. One of the best films of 1999. Only flaw is that Al Pacino's character was over-idealized, but maybe it was the only way to make us believe that he didn't manipulate Wigand into doing it. A Must-See. From a scale of 1-10 I give this film a 9!