Rating of
4/4
Brilliant in every respect.
Andrew - wrote on 05/02/12
The Insider is a film that is brilliant in every respect. The story is compelling, the acting is superb, I could go on and on. The film received 7 Academy Award nominations, although, unfortunately, it won none. Russell Crowe's performance as Jeffrey Wigand is spellbinding as the viewer sympathizes with him every step of the way. Al Pacino is as wily as ever in his role as the maverick 60 Minutes producer, Lowell Bergman. He too could have easily gotten an Academy Award nomination. But perhaps the biggest award snub was Christopher Plummer receiving no nomination from the Academy for his role as Mike Wallace. Plummer is sensational and is able to channel the spirit of Wallace quite easily.
Overall, the film provokes a high amount of rage. The way Wigand's reputation is dragged through the mud by Brown and Williamson is evil in its purest form. The film also shows how the news media can be forced to kowtow to corporate interests, effectively bypassing a free press. The Insider is a must see film for any serious film fan and is one the best films of 1999.
