Review of The Insider (1999) by Ben F — 23 Feb 2010

To sum it all up, "The Insider" was a perfect film. After watching movie, I tried to ask myself what was wrong with it...I tried asking myself if there were any flaws in the film in any category of film...but there wasn't. It was amazing, and Michael Mann really proved his talent with this movie.

This movie is obviously very important for the actual 60 minutes segment on the events that actually took place. Jeffery Wigand (Played by Russell Crow) is fired from his job in the tobacco company and talks to a news journalist (Al Pacino.) Wigand begins to be threatened by his former employers, because he is initially violating a confidentiality agreement that he had signed with them in the passed. The facts are all here, and the movie is executed brilliantly. There couldn't have been a better way to portray these events.

Everyone in this film does a great job. Al Pacino and Russel Crowe are obviously the best. The performances that they both give are both professional and immensely powerful. It's great to see all the raw and real emotion that these two talented actors throw at each other. Really good stuff! Christopher Plummer does a good job as well, amongst other people in the cast.

What I really liked about "The Insider" was just the execution that Michael Mann came up with. The shots in this movie just completely resemble journalism. Several close up panning shots in the film really tingle the senses, and make you nervous of what's going to happen to Wigand. It's really fun to see cinematography like this, and it makes the movie all the more better.

Another thing I liked about this film was the music. The music that I heard in this movie has definitely been used before, but I think that in this movie it was used in all the right places, so I had no complaints. I think that one of themes that I heard, I also heard in the trailer for "Training Day." It's weird that I remember that....

This movie certainly was nominated for best picture for a reason. It was fantastic from start to finish. It really does have a brilliant portrayal of some of the brutalities that go on in the art of journalism and that certain people have to risk everything and stick their necks on the line to bring the truth out. A wonderful film without a doubt.