Product: The Insider [VHS] (1999)
Rating: 4.0
Riveting, fascinating
This is a very good movie. The drama, the dialogue, the performances are all top rate. You don't notice the fact that 3 hours have passed because you are drawn into the story. I was especially impressed with Al Pacino's performance. And there are a number of little things that make the movie enjoyable, such as the interaction of Bergman (Pacino's character) with his wife without melodrama, just normal life, and the consistency of the accents. The accents clearly define where the scene is taking place. These are just examples of attention to detail that fills the movie.I'm told that this film is fast and loose with the details of the case and the decision not to air the 60 Minutes segment, but that the essence is correct. I would say that the presence of the real people played by Crowe and Pacino (the two main characters) in the making of video verifies that this film is acceptable to them, and so I accept it as well.There are only a couple of flaws. In the actual movie itself, there are moments of over-melodrama. Thankfully these are few. Secondly, there are few extras on the DVD. A film like this could really use the DVD format and include inside information for those interested in the real facts. I would especially have liked to have seen the real 60 Minutes spot, for example.