| The Insider (By None) _ THE INSIDER (Author’s Note: This is my first movie review for Rice World since my ill-fated attempt at my own web site. I hope to write more in the future if I ever get time off from school. This isn’t the type of movie I usually watch, but recently, my tastes have changed. I guess I’ve matured. =P) At its very best,
“The Insider” is unmatched. An intense, gritty portrayal, director Michael Mann
gives us an amazing look at the key players of one of the decade’s most infamous
public health issues. Russell Crowe and Al Pacino, as ‘insider’ Dr. Jeffrey
Wigand & “60 Minutes” producer Lowell Bergman, respectively, give powerful
performances to top off a well-rounded cast. It is their roles, their parts, which give
the film the emotion and character that it has.
The heart of the story is simple, although as we later find out, it’s only a
small piece of a much complex puzzle. Wigand has been terminated from his job as the
consultant for the third largest tobacco company in the nation. Faced with the truth about
the illegal practices that his company (Brown & Stevenson) uses, Wigand chose to
object to his superiors, and thus the reason for his firing. Meanwhile, Bergman sees in
Wigand “the ultimate insider.” After all, Wigand needs money, wants revenge at
the industry, and knows the entire truth. Faced with the decision of a lifetime, Wigand
must choose whether or not to do the “60 Minutes” interview, and eventually, be
the star witness in the trial brought forth by Mississippi against the entire tobacco
industry. Doing so, however, leaves his family in high risk. From his decision, everything
else explodes: A chain reaction is set, each of which affects Wigand’s life in one
way or another.
Mann has to be given a lot of credit for the details he mixes in to give the film a
heart. There’s the effect (with a shaky camera at times) of being a homemade movie,
to give the film a personal touch for Wigand’s story. Each character is fully
developed, and we, as the audience, can connect with them. We are able to see how
everything is falling apart for Wigand, how each thing is tugging at him and killing him
inside. There are the threats from his company and from an unknown source. His family is
forced to move into a smaller place after he gets fired. There’s the concern for the
medical attention his young daughter, infected with asthma, needs. (Their other daughter
is that adorable Pepsi girl- just had to get that in there =) And finally, his wife is
unable to deal with the circumstances, and Wigand’s marriage falls apart. At his low
point, Wigand has only one man on his side – himself.
From Bergman’s point of view, we understand how much he has invested in this
interview and how much Wigand’s life affects him too. He feels responsible for
everything that happens to Wigand as a result of the interview, and as Wigand sinks,
Bergman does too. His own fight is against the CBS corporate suits who refuse to air the
interview in its entirety, and we see his frustration building up. Bergman genuinely
cares: He’s the friend that Wigand has but never knows about. “I fought for you,
and I still fight for you!” And he does. And everything Wigand endures, Bergman does
too.
Most films based on true stories, like “A Civil Action,” are restricted
by the actual events, and isn’t as entertaining as the audience might want. “The
Insider” is one of the few movies that succeed despite their limitations by what
happened. It has a note at the end, something along the “Certain events in the film
have been dramatized for effect.” I feel compelled to mention this because “The
Insider” was able to work outside the lines; it’s an extraordinarily truthful
view from both sides of the coin.
Despite getting rave reviews from critics across the nation, “The
Insider” grossed only $8 million in its opening weekend. There’s the feeling
that it a movie geared for older audiences, but I enjoyed it immensely, and recommend it
to all of you. The only problem I found in the film – the length, at 2 hours and 35
minutes – is easily overlooked given the quality of it. I wouldn’t be surprised
if this movie is nominated many times come Oscar-time, especially for its superb acting
performances. “The Insider” is a powerful and moving film. Michael Mann takes a
story we might have read in Time or Newsweek and turns in into a human drama
about extraordinary people faced with the heat of extreme circumstances. Watch it. Overall Rating: A |
