The Insider (1999)

Directed by: Michael Mann
Starring Russell Crowe, Al Pacino

--This review may contain spoilers--

If I had just watched the first half of this movie, I would have only listed one starring actor above. The reason being that The Insider spends a significant amount of time telling the story of Jeffrey Wigand (Crowe), a former scientist for a major Tobacco company called Brown and Williamson. After having been fired and signing a confidentiality agreement, he's faced with the dilemma of whether or not to share the secrets he knows about the tobacco industry with CBS' 60 Minutes. The results of Wigand's decision result in the loss of both his family and his reputation... we think.

The second half of this movie shifts and focuses on Lowell Bergman (Pacino) who up until the midway point was a supporting character. Bergman, a producer for 60 Minutes and the man who discovers that Wigand has something to say and fights for his right to say it. Throughout the first half of the film we accept the fact that what Wigand has to say is credible because we are convinced that the man helping him, Bergman, is a credible journalist. So once Wigand discovers that certain parties will stop at nothing to discredit him, he begins to question Bergman's credibility and integrity and thus, we have the story of Lowell Bergman.

The type of shift is rare in films but is seamless in The Insider. Both characters are interesting enough have as your main protagonist and we're curious as to what will have to both of them. The problem with the shift is that because the film closes with Bergman as our main character, we don't get a clear idea of what happens to Wigand. We see bits and pieces of his life after the 60 Minutes segment airs and we read the title cards at the end but we're left wondering to a certain extent.

On top of not knowing what happens to Wigand, I also found it difficult to relate fully to him throughout. I recognized the position he was in and that alone was sufficient reason for his conflicts. What lacked for me as an audience member was the threat that he experienced. A bullet in the mailbox, a death threat on the computer and some footprints in the backyard didn't really provide enough tension and suspense to make me feel like he really was in so much danger that his wife was forced to leave him, take his kids and leave him to fight this battle alone.

The flaws of this film are either so minor or so irrelevant that its hard to point them out more consistently than good qualities. I'd be writing all day if I were to delve into the performances and the cinematography and the realism that this film has. Suffice it to say that The Insider is one of the finest films I've ever seen and that it took repeated viewings to even find the subtle flaws it had.

****1/2