Product: The Insider [VHS] (1999)
Rating: 4.0
Smoking is Hazardous to Your Health...Really?
Michael Mann has directed so many great films--The Last of the Mohicans and my personal favorite, Heat (also with Pacino)--was finally acknowledged for his work with this fantastic piece of film about a whistle-blower who has information that would expose big trouble for Big Tobacco.Al Pacino is convincing yet again as 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman, and should have switched spots in the Nominations chair at the Oscars and all those other fake Awards shows with Russell Crowe's in many ways equal performance as insider Jeffrey Wigand. The real acting that should have been recognized in this movie is Christopher Plummer's dead-on impersonation of 60 Minutes anchor Mike Wallace, whose towering, booming voice dominates this movie.There are three reasons the unknowing viewer would not watch this riveting movie: It's length (160 mins.), it's subject matter (smoking and TV journalism) and dramatic tone. For one, although somewhat slow-paced, this movie would hold interest for mostly anybody who is ready to sit down and watch a movie. Secondly, this film is not about the tobacco industry or TV journalism. It is about one man's struggle to come out and admit to the entire country that he has wrongfully with-held evidence that he knows and so does everyone else who works at these places that tobacco contains toxins that will kill you. Thirdly, this movie is a thriller, keeping you, like I said, on the edge if you hold an interest through the movie. If you are a fan of any of the actors, of the CBS television news show or interested in the subject matter, none of these will be a problem. Sit back, relax, and get involved in this film because if you do, it will prove to be an excellent movie experience.DVD extras, like every other Disney-released DVD, are minimal. There is a 7-minute "documentary"--I don't know what you'd call it but it isn't that--but holds some interest because it shows some interviews with the actors and the real Lowell Bergman and Jeffrey Wigand. There's also an "Inside a Scene" feature that would be so much more rewarding had they done the same for the entire movie, and also a great preview. The anamorphic 2.35:1 transfer ratio of the DVD is pleasing, yet clarity is sometimes dimmed. This movie is a smart buy as it is a great movie that is worth your money and viewing.