The Insider
by Michael Mann
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DVD details
Actor: Al Pacino, Christopher Plummer, Diane Venora, Philip Baker Hall, Russell CroweDirector: Michael Mann
Brand: BUENA VISTA HOME VIDEO
Producer: Michael Mann
Writer: Michael Mann
Producer: Avi Kleinberger
Producer: Gusmano Cesaretti
Producer: Kathleen M. Shea
Writer: Eric Roth
Writer: Marie Brenner
DVD: 2 Layers, Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 2.35:1
Running Time: 157 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2000-04-11
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Walt Disney Video
DVD Reviews of The Insider
DVD Review: Let's be honest . . .
Summary: 5 Stars
Well, it's official. Michael Mann has now become one of my favorite directors. He has directed three of my favorite films: Heat, The Insider, & Collateral. Although I'm bit more for the styles of Stanley Kubrick & Tim Burton, I still admire Mann's own. His way of bringing realistic drama into his own films is a very intriguing (not to mention satisfying) experience. The flow, the realistic environments, and the refreshingly adult content that surrounds his motion pictures is something that should be fully understood especially in today's cinema. Almost every scene is an example of visual poetry: the shootout in Heat, the coyote in Collateral, the waterfall in The Last of the Mohicans, etc. The man really knows how to make a great film, and The Insider is proof of that. Made ten years ago by Touchstone, this political thriller deals with two subjects: the tobacco industry and the media. However, this doesn't move like an action adventure, complete with Colt Commandos and car chases and governmental technology. No, this moves like a Nelson DeMille thriller. It's all about dialogue, character development, and lack of glorification of any sort. This is a compelling human drama that never succumbs to melodramatic overtones.
The movie is based on the true story of Jeffrey Wigand (played brilliantly by Russell Crowe), who at the time was Vice President for a tobacco company called Brown & Williamson. He has been terminated from his job, and "60 Minutes" producer Lowell Bergman (played amazingly by Al Pacino) suspects that this has to do with the whistleblower policy. The two eventually meet and Wigand explains to Bergman why he was fired. This becomes an official story for "60 Minutes," while it leads to Wigand into a courtroom where he tells the truth about Brown & Williamson. This is only the beginning. The tobacco industry starts to fight back at Wigand and "60 Minutes," and it's only a matter of chance that our two heroes will succeed in telling the truth.
As I said before, Crowe and Pacino are absolutely excellent here. While not exactly looking similar to the real Wigand and Bergman, it looks like they've got the personas down to a T. The supporting cast is close to perfection. Christopher Plummer, Philip Baker Hall, Diane Venora, Colm Feore, Gina Gershon, Michael Gambon, and Bruce McGill give wonderful performances. I especially love McGill's rant during the courtroom scene: that REALLY shut his opponent up, didn't it? But I think the best thing about this movie is the script. There is solid dialogue throughout, and it really sounds like how real people would say things. Eric Roth and Michael Mann should be given props for this screenwriting. It's a shame they didn't win an Oscar, though.
You know, I could go on praising this film even more, but Amazon has its limits when it comes to customer reviews. So I'll just finish by saying that this is a deeply powerful film about the tobacco industry and the media. It's a film that makes you think, makes you see through harsh reality, makes you want to see more from Mann, Pacino, and Crowe. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and I think you will, too.
Grade: A
DVD Review: About the DVD screen format !!
Summary: 4 Stars
It is 2.35 Anamorphic
The only thing I noticed unusual is that the horiz. black bars are uneven, 33% on top and 66% on bottom. Its not 50/50 or horiz. centered as with most other 2.35:1. It's NOT a BIG DEAL, just a little horiz. offset.
Great Movie, still worth purchasing !!
DVD Review: prophetic
Summary: 5 Stars
Two of my very favorite actors do not disappoint! Crowe & Pacino are riveting in this suspenseful drama. Well crafted, brilliantly acted, highly prophetic story line (won't give away the plot). DVD Review: One of the Best Political-Thrillers I've Ever Seen
Summary: 5 Stars
Whether you care about the politics of The Insider or not, as far as sheer entertainment goes this film will hook you instantly.
The film is directed by Michael Mann, with a script by Mann and Oscar-winner Eric Roth. Mann is a talented director with just a few failures under his belt. The Insider is one of his strongest directorial efforts and also one of his most overlooked (despite being nominated for 7 Academy Awards in 1999).
The film is based on a true story with some added content for dramatic effect. Russell Crowe plays Dr. Jeff Wigand, recently fired from his job at one of the biggest tobacco companies in America where he worked as a tobacco scientist. Al Pacino plays "60 Minutes" producer Lowell Bergman, who sees the ultimate insider in Wigand. The problem is, Wigand has a confidentiality agreement with the company and with an asthmatic daughter he doesn't want to lose his medical coverage that was part of his severance package. Of course, the more Wigand discloses to Bergman, the more the truth comes out about corruption in the tobacco industry.
And it wouldn't be a political-thriller without Wigand being follows and receiving death threats.
I doubt much of the talk about the harmful effects of nicotine and cigarettes will be entirely new to viewers, yet this doesn't keep both the film and Wigand's testimony from being riveting.
In a film that's already very well-made, the stand-out was the acting. Pacino, Crowe, and Christopher Plummer (as "60 Minutes" anchor Mike Wallace) are all at the top of their form. Al Pacino is, of course, one of the most highly-regarded actors of all time so this statement isn't too profound. But Pacino is fascinating here, keeping you glued to your screen. The man has a screen presence that is unmatched and delivers some truly Oscar-worthy work here. Crowe plays the conflicted everyman very well. His performance is much more subtle than Pacino's flamboyant one but equally satisfying. Finally, Plummer comes out of left field with his performance, easily one of his best. He just about steals the show from Pacino and Crowe.
First class entertainment with a powerful agenda, The Insider is quite simply a great film. Not only that, it's one of the best films I've seen in the political-thriller genres (in which I'd include films like Syriana (Widescreen Edition) and Michael Clayton (Widescreen Edition)). This is great filmmaking, with a powerful script, explosive acting, and terrific dialogue (made even better by the intense delivery). The awe-inspiring performances of Pacino, Crowe, and Plummer are reason enough to see the film. It might be 2 hours and 33 minutes long, but as you'll see...It flies by.
GRADE: A
DVD Review: Drama Greatness. One of Al Pacino's Greatest performances of screen.
Summary: 5 Stars
An Enthralling story, shot with a granular, visceral, adjusting focus-style that is popular in some of todays best shows, such as Battlestar Gallactica, and some of Micheal Mann's more contemporary films. The acting cast deserves a standing ovation. There isn't a moment of dissapointment in this modern movie classic. More about our Media and the fragil interconnection of politics and real world, with the case of Hope, and its trumpcard effect.
Description of The Insider
THE INSIDER recounts the chain of events that pitted an ordinary man against the tobacco industry and dragged two people into the fight of their lives. Academy Award(R)-winner Al Pacino (1990 Best Actor, SCENT OF A WOMAN; THE RECRUIT) gives a powerful performance as veteran 60 MINUTES producer Lowell Bergman and Academy Award(R) Winner Russell Crowe (2000 Best Actor, GLADIATOR; A BEAUTIFUL MIND) co-stars as the ultimate insider, former tobacco executive Dr. Jeffrey Wigand. When Wigand is fired by his employer -- one of the largest tobacco companies in America -- he agrees to become a paid consultant for a story Bergman is working on regarding alleged unethical practices within the tobacco industry. But what begins as a temporary alliance leads to a lengthy battle for both men to save their reputations, and much, much more. As they soon find out, Corporate America will use all legal means at its disposal to save a billion-dollar-a-year habit. And as the corporate giants soon find out, Bergman and Wigand are honorable men, driven to smoke out the evidence. Also starring Christopher Plummer (MALCOLM X) as anchor Mike Wallace and Gina Gershon (FACE/OFF), THE INSIDER will chill you with its cold, hard edge -- and thrill you with its unbelievable twists and turns.As revisionist history, Michael Mann's intelligent docudrama The Insider is a simmering brew of altered facts and dramatic license. In a broader perspective, however, the film (cowritten with Forrest Gump Oscar-winner Eric Roth) is effectively accurate as an engrossing study of ethics in the corruptible industries of tobacco and broadcast journalism. On one side, there is Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe), the former tobacco scientist who violated contractual agreements to expose Brown & Williamson's inclusion of addictive ingredients in cigarettes, casting himself into a vortex of moral dilemma. On the other side is 60?Minutes producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino), whose struggle to report Wigand's story puts him at odds with veteran correspondent Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer) and senior executives at CBS News.
As the urgency of the story increases, so does the film's palpable sense of paranoia, inviting favorable comparison to All the President's Men. While Pacino downplays the theatrical excess that plagued him in previous roles, Crow is superb as a man who retains his tortured integrity at great personal cost. The Insider is two movies--a cover-up thriller and a drama about journalistic ethics--that combine to embrace the noble values personified by Wigand and Bergman. Even if the details aren't always precise (as Mike Wallace and others protested prior to the film's release), the film adheres to a higher truth that was so blatantly violated by tobacco executives seen in an oft-repeated video clip, lying under oath in the service of greed. --Jeff Shannon
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