Movies

Forget Russell Crowe's performance by numbers in 'Gladiator' (good though that film was), and enjoy his acting talent here alongside Al Pacino. Both men give inspired and classy masterclasses in how to put a character across. 'The Insider' is unusual, it is long and wordy (not often the case in modern movies), it has a superb soundtrack - 'Sacrifice', in particular - and it makes you involved, makes you care.Curious, then, that a Roman epic outshone it. A good epic, but not in the same class.

Finally, now here is a movie where everybody seems to agree on the same verdict. It is a very rare occasion that most of the major critics, the Academy and myself all agree on the judgment of the quality of a motion picture. This only goes to say that this film really has to be good. It also goes to show that the best movies are almost always based on true stories. Truth always trumps fiction.This movie was very well directed and well filmed, but above all it was well acted. Both Crowe and Pacino deliver memorable, believable performances, creating characters for which we can feel for, with whom we can identify. I agree on most of the Oscar Nominations, but I also feel that maybe an Oscar was warranted for best screenplay which is probably the best part of this motion picture.Thumbs up!

Intrepid '60 Minutes' producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino) gets Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer) an interview with Hezbollah. He wants to do a story about cigarettes accidentally setting fires and receives a stack of technical documents. He seeks out Dr. Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) to translate the jargon. Wigand just got fired from Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company. His daughter suffers and he needs the medical coverage in his severance package. The company is playing hardball with his confidentiality agreement. The pressure is overwhelming and from all sides.This is a terrific Michael Mann movie. The story doesn't have natural kinetic energy. However he creates such tension from the story. Al Pacino gives his usual power acting. Russell Crowe is a revelation as a haggard middle-aged family man. The subject matter could easily drown in white collar gobbergoob talk. However Mann makes it a great character study and an energized thriller.