# Insider, The (1999)

### reviewed by
Eugene Novikov

    The Insider (1999)
    Reviewed by Eugene Novikov
    http://www.ultimate-movie.com/
    Member: Online Film Critics Society

"That's not the point, whether you tell the truth or not!"

Starring Russell Crowe, Al Pacino, Christopher Plummer. Rated R.

I don't have too much respect or patience for movies that scream at me. Subtlety is not always a virtue and many times just putting whatever you have to say right out on the table is the prudent thing to do. But an audience shouldn't be forcefed and the themes of the movie shouldn't be rammed down our throats. Do that and you insult your viewers. Michael Mann's much lauded "60 Minutes" biopic The Insider succumbs to the urge to hit the audience as hard as it can with its message. The film comes on so strong, instead of comprehending what it's trying to say we reel from it.

Mann is working with one of the year's most impressive casts making this even more of a disappointment. Our favorite thespian from New Zealand, Russell Crowe, stars as Jeff Weigand, a chemist who has just been fired from one of the biggest tobacco companies after working there for more than a decade. He is forced to sign a confidentiality agreement requiring him not to share with anyone any information he may have acquired during his stint at the company. Should he break the confidentiality agreement, his generous severance package (including health insurance for his little ones) will be terminated and the company will commence litigation against him.

In the meantime he is being hounded by Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino), producer of the popular tv newsmagazine "60 Minutes." Lowell believes, correctly, that Weigand is an insider with knowledge crucial to public safety. More specifically, Weigand knows that the tobacco companies are indeed aware of the addictive and harmful nature of nicotine, a fact the CEOs passionately denied at a prior hearing.

This is pretty important stuff. Lowell is determined to air Weigand's testimony, but the tobacco company will stop at nothing to silence him. They resort to (alleged) death threats against him and his family, a lawsuit against him and, more importantly, a lawsuit against "60 Minutes" should they decide to air the segment. Basis? Assisting Weigand in breaking the confidentiality agreement. The lawyer for CBS, the network in charge of "60 Minutes" advises Lowell and star of the show Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer) that should such a lawsuit be brought to trial and be successful, the tobacco company may wind up owning CBS, a possibility which gives the network pause.

Running an exorbitant 157 minutes The Insider manages to entertain for its first two hours, but runs out of steam towards the end. It's bloated and self-important, with the apparent conviction that everything that was shot is too essential to cut. The result is a messy denoument that muddles and undermines the rest of the movie, which is for the most part engaging and focused. Since when is it a rule that Longer is Better? After all, though films of epic length do, for some reason, tend to dominate the Academy Awards, the two-hour Shakespeare in Love did, rightfully, beat out the three-hour Saving Private Ryan. Today's directors need to learn to keep their rambling at a minimum.

What is the movie trying to say? Journalistic integrity is very, very important. The problem? Well, a) it's not exactly a new and original idea and b) the film insists on overwhelming us with it. It even goes so far as having the characters scream this primitive and simplistic message right into the camera. At the two hour point, I was rapidly losing my patience and wsa tempted to scream "I got it already!" at the screen. But The Insider showed no signs of letting up. There will not be a more redundant movie this year.

Russell Crowe and Al Pacino sure are dynamite. They both give explosive, occasionally powerful performances, just like I would expect from two first-rate actors such as this pair. The standout, I think, is Christopher Plummer who perfectly projects his character's vanity but also his goodness. If anyone deserves an Oscar nomination for this inconsistent affair, it would have to be this guy. I can't wait until his next film (which happens to be Posessed, where he plays a priest).

A little subtlety never hurt anyone. It shouldn't be so subtle that it's vague but screaming doesn't exactly serve the movie's purpose either. A film has to hold our attention throughout and deliver its message in the meantime. Viewer intimidation is not the way to go.

    Grade: C+

    ©1999 Eugene Novikov

    Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
    Before you buy.

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