Review of The Insider (1999) by Tanya K — 30 May 2008

It's amazing how Mann is able to keep the level of anticipation consistently high on a subject matter that could easily be quite dull. From the moment this film begins, the audience is kept at the edge of their seats.

But what's it all really about? Sure we have "the large corporation against the little man", but that's just on the surface. If we look deeper, this is about modern day heroism. Both Lowell Bergman and Jeffery Wigand are men of honour, moral and integrity, willing to risk their own careers, lives and families for doing what's ethically just.

Also fascinating is the rare glimpse into the journalistic machine and its pendulum effect on manipulating news to make or break reputations. It's no surprise that the station's loyalty lies only in beating the competition to the punch and getting the best ratings, yet we are so deeply invested in the characters, that we feel the full force and terror of the obstacles thrown at them.