# Insider, The (1999)

### reviewed by
Edward Johnson-Ott

The Insider (1999) Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, Christopher Plummer, Diane Venora, Philip Baker Hall, Lindsay Crouse, Debi Mazar, Stephen Tobolowsky, Colm Feore, Bruce McGill, Gina Gershon, Michael Gambon, Rip Torn. Screenplay by Eric Roth and Michael Mann, based on the Vanity Fair article "The Man Who Knew Too Much" by Marie Brenner. Directed by Michael Mann. 158 minutes. Rated PG-13, 3 stars (out of five stars)

    Review by Ed Johnson-Ott, NUVO Newsweekly
    www.nuvo-online.com
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Jeffrey Wigand is a hero. The former corporate officer of a major tobacco company risked everything to blow the whistle on his employers and "60 Minutes" producer Lowell Bergman eagerly taped his statement. But greed and fear at the highest levels of the network led CBS to pull the finished segment. Stunned at the breach of journalistic integrity, Bergman frantically tried to save the interview while his number one source was left twisting in the wind.

This powerful slice of recent history deserves the big screen treatment. To a degree, "The Insider" does its subject proud. But at a whopping two hours and 38 minutes, the deliberately paced film from director Michael Mann ("Last of the Mohicans," "Heat") is about 40 minutes too long. As if that wasn't challenging enough, a shift in focus from Wigand to Bergman during the last hour further undermines the impact of the piece. In real life, Wigand found himself swallowed by network politics and a smear campaign by the tobacco company. Sadly, his character ends up a ghost in the film as well.

Still, patient viewers will find substantial rewards here. After breaking onto the American scene with "L.A. Confidential," Russell Crowe gives another stellar performance as Jeffrey Wigand, a scientist who learned that cigarettes were merely "a delivery device for nicotine" and that the tobacco companies routinely manipulated the drug to further promote addiction. Crowe deftly creates a rich, three-dimensional portrait of this deeply conflicted man. For authenticity, the actor also gained 50 pounds for the role and proudly displays the results in a brief "Check out my flab - - am I dedicated or what?!" shirtless scene, one of the more amusing contemporary movie clichés.

Thankfully, serial overactor Al Pacino reigns in his scenery chomping for most of the film, although he finally tears loose towards the end of the story. As Mike Wallace, Christopher Plummer does a reasonable, if oily, impersonation of the veteran newsman.

"The Insider" is similar in theme and structure to "Prince of the City," although the latter is a far superior film. While even longer than "The Insider," "Prince" had a much more intricate story to tell. In addition, the filmmakers recognized the importance of keeping their tortured informant in the center of the proceedings. When "The Insider" veers from Wigand to Bergman, the film becomes just another tale of a crusading journalist, and, though the mechanics are fascinating, it remains a trip through overly familiar territory. While the tobacco company failed in their attempt to bury Jeffrey Wigand, "The Insider" finally dismisses him, leaving the man a footnote at the end of his own valiant story.

    © 1999 Ed Johnson-Ott

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