Product: The Insider [VHS] (1999)
Rating: 5.0
Nothing Black and White About This Film
If there's one thing I hate about certain movies, it is that they are too "black and white". I'm not talking pigmentation, though, but rather the depth of the plot and characters. Life is too complicated and filled with shades of gray to be simplified at the theater, and I'm glad "The Insider" doesn't pander in that fashion.For a basic plot summary, this movie focuses on Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe), a former "Big Tobacco" scientist who must decide whether to keep the trade secrets, or blow the whistle on the most powerful business entity in the U.S. On the story is journalist Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino), who (against his ethical code) becomes personally involved with Wigand and as such gets drawn even deeper into the business intrigue.There is nothing simple about this film: Should Wigand do the interview and put his family in danger all in the name of "ethics"? Should Bergman take the case to another level at the expense of HIS future? Nearly ever situation in the movie will make you contemplate what is "right" or "wrong".What really makes this solid film into a 5-star experience, though, is the acting of Pacino. I never really got into Pacino's earlier mob flicks, but his later-years work (like here) really impresses me. Does he play essentially the same character all the time? Absolutely. But it doesn't matter in the slightest because he is so incredible at it. The most natural "intense guy" actor I've ever seen.Thus, "The Insider" is a great movie that will draw you in with the engaging plot, incredible acting, and the real-life setting based on a true story. I can't vouch for the film's historical accuracy, but as a stand-alone film it deserves all the Oscar nominations it garnered.