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The InsiderRating:
Release Date: 02 April, 2002 Retail Price: $14.99 OUR Price: $10.99 You SAVE: $4.00! Cast: Complete Cast (18 total) |
The Insider Reviews
THE INSIDER ILLUSTRATES HOW 1 PERSON CAN STILL MAKE A HUGE POSITIVE DIFFERENCE
A TRUE STORY THAT'S STILL TOUCHING LIVES TODAY & FOR THE FORSEEABLE FUTURE TOO
The Insider tells the true story of how Jeffrey Wigand [played by Russell Crowe] told the world what the major tobacco companies knew and concealed about the dangers posed to consumers by their cigarettes. The Insider is presented with tangible class and with an appropriately heavy docudrama feel. In my opinion, "The Insider" is director Michael Mann's best film to date and was nominated for seven Academy awards. Excellent acting by Pacino, Crowe and Plummer.
YES - THERE IS A PRICE TO PAY FOR BEING A WHISTLEBLOWER & IT COMES IN MANY THANKLESS FORMS!!!!!
The film's setting is saturated with an eerie and believable atmosphere of paranoia. The sinking feeling that the unseen enemy [the tobacco company] will be coming from somewhere seems to be both infectious and believable throughout the film. The price Wigand pays for his integrity is dear and continues to this day. His personal loss rivals the tobacco company's but unlike them he consciously decided to do the "right thing" regardless of that cost. Amplifying the significance of Wigand's whistle blowing decision, where in effect 1 man [Jeffrey Wigand] does stand up completely alone against the threats of big tobacco, CBS "Corporate" caves in to the tobacco company's lawsuit threats. After taping the interview CBS corporate hits the chicken switch over airing Mike Wallace's interview with Wigands much as the tobacco company had hoped the wistleblower would have. This subplot through analogy clearly demonstrates the power of one ordinary man against a powerful corrupt system and clearly illustrates how 1 person can still make a big difference. Jeffrey Wigand standing up to be counted did make a difference in this case. A HUGE DIFFERENCE!
YES - -1 PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE: A BIG DIFFERENCE HERE!
On a smaller scale the filmakers' effort here is another example of how 1 man can make a difference though the risk is far smaller. Interestingly, though the film was nominated for 7 academy awards it came away with none. I guess Whistleblowing for a just cause will still have to be its own reward.
* -- * ABRIDGED LIST OF THE CAST * -- *
Al Pacino - Lowell Bergman
Russell Crowe - Jeffrey Wigand
Christopher Plummer - Mike Wallace
Diane Venora - Liane Wigand
Philip Baker Hall - Don Hewitt
Lindsay Crouse - Sharon Tiller
Debi Mazar - Debbie De Luca
Stephen Tobolowsky - Eric Kluster
Colm Feore - Richard Scruggs
Bruce McGill - Ron Motley
Rip Torn - John Scanlon
Lynne Thigpen - Mrs. Williams
Nestor Serrano - FBI Agent Robertson
Pete Hamill - N.Y. Times Reporter
Michael Moore - Michael Moore
* -- * ABRIDGED BUT EXTENSIVE LIST OF [MUCH AWARDED] PRODUCTION CREW * -- *
Michael Mann - Director / Producer / Screenwriter
Pieter Jan Brugge - Producer
Marie Brenner - Short Story Author
Eric Roth - Screenwriter
Dante Spinotti - Cinematographer
Pieter Bourke - Composer (Music Score)
Lisa Gerrard - Composer (Music Score)
Graeme Revell - Composer (Music Score)
William C. Goldenberg - Editor
David Rosenbloom - Editor
Paul Rubell - Editor
Brian Morris - Production Designer
Avi Avivi - Art Director
John Kasarda - Art Director
Marjorie Stone McShirley - Supervising Art Director
James Tocci - Art Director
Michael Waxman - Co-producer / First Assistant Director
Gusmano Cesaretti - Associate Producer
Kathleen M. Shea - Associate Producer
Lynn Christopher - Set Designer
Nancy Haigh - Set Designer
Kelly Hannafin - Set Designer
Beth Kushnick - Set Designer
Chris Spellman - Set Designer
Darrell L. Wight - Set Designer
Anna Sheppard - Costume Designer
Doug Hemphill - Sound/Sound Designer
Andy Nelson - Sound/Sound Designer
Lee Orloff - Sound/Sound Designer
Bonnie Timmerman - Casting
Gregg Baxter - Sound Editor
Gregory King - Sound Editor
* -- * ABRIDGED LIST OF MAJOR AWARDS & NOMINATIONS * -- *
Best Actor (nom) Russell Crowe 1999 Academy
Best Adapted Screenplay (nom) Eric Roth 1999 Academy
Best Adapted Screenplay (nom) Michael Mann 1999 Academy
Best Cinematography (nom) Dante Spinotti 1999 Academy
Best Director (nom) Michael Mann 1999 Academy
Best Editing (nom) David Rosenbloom 1999 Academy
Best Editing (nom) William C. Goldenberg 1999 Academy
Best Editing (nom) Paul Rubell 1999 Academy
Best Picture (nom) 1999 Academy
Best Sound (nom) Doug Hemphill 1999 Academy
Best Sound (nom) Lee Orloff 1999 Academy
Best Sound (nom) Andy Nelson 1999 Academy
Best Cinematography (nom) Dante Spinotti 1999 American Society of Cinematographers
Best Actor (nom) Russell Crowe 1999 British Academy Awards
Best Actor (win) Russell Crowe 1999 Broadcast Film Critics Association
Best Director- Feature Film (nom) Michael Mann 1999 Directors Guild of America
Best Actor (Drama) (nom) Russell Crowe 1999 Golden Globe
Best Director (nom) Michael Mann 1999 Golden Globe
Best Film (Drama) (nom) 1999 Golden Globe
Best Original Score (nom) Lisa Gerrard 1999 Golden Globe
Best Original Score (nom) Pieter Bourke 1999 Golden Globe
Best Screenplay (nom) Eric Roth 1999 Golden Globe
Best Screenplay (nom) Michael Mann 1999 Golden Globe
ABOUT THE DVD :
Excellent sound and video but very short of features. 7 minute featurette is very inadequate for this type of film!!!
MY TAKE ON "THE INSIDER" - -
Terrific film that sadly has not attracted as much attention from moviegoers as it deserves. Pacino, Crowe and Plummer really do justice to this excellent example of a Michael Mann film.
Just Great Film-making......Period
Not always, but usually a Michael Mann-directed film means good things for movie buffs, and this is no exception.
Tremendous acting highlights this movie about a behind-the-scenes look at a "60 Minutes" story of a man who blows the whistle on a tobacco company. Al Pacino, as the TV show producer "Lowell Bergman," Russell Crowe as the whistle-blower and tobacco scientist "Dr. Jeffrey Wiegand," and Christopher Plummer as "Mike Wallace" all are riveting in their performances. They are intense characters, as are many of the supporting characters in this involving film.
There is little action in here but a ton of tension in the first hour of this long (158 min.) film. The story held my interest even when the tension left, thanks to the acting, the great cinematography, involving music score....well, just about everything. It's simply a well-done movie, similar to Mann's "Heat," except without the violence.
The only negative was the obvious Liberal bias, but that's not surprising being it's about "60 Minutes." I wasn't surprised when Ken Starr got a cheap shot, for example. This film bias could have been a lot more blatant so I'm not complaining. Obviously, they went a overboard in their stand against the tobacco industry, repeating the same damaging scenes over and over. However, I appreciated they didn't shrink from pointing out how the network was covering its own behind even though it was hurting its most successful program.
Photographer Dante Spinelli did an incredible job making this look fantastic despite the fact that there was no great scenery or exotic sets. As mentioned, this is just great film-making
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