Rating: 
Summary: Too pretentious and boring for an Oscar
Review: IT WILL TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY ONLY IF YOU'RE ASTHMATIC...Not that I've never liked long movies on serious topics with good actors, but not this one - it's difficult to withstand 150 min of gray-haired obese R Crowe (although I'm glad this part made for his raise to fame),even when he's very persuasively portrays pangs of conscience of an ex-CEO of a big tobacco company who wants to help bring overwhelming truth that smoking is bad and causes addiction to American people with help of ever-green, sorry, ever-young A Pacino, a journalist "truth-digger" who wants to push it through to national TV. I agree, it's not all actors' fault, but some scenes are intentionally dragged out with no particular reason, so called "terror unleashed" upon R Crowe's character is unpersuasive, music is unnerving - this dramatic howling would have suited some Joan d'Arc-type movie.In short, such movies are done for a very limited type of viewers if it was so brilliant, why it didn't receive an Oscar? Compare with American Beauty. See the difference?). To me personally,who is too young to adore A Pacino only because he starred in some good mafia-movies 20 years ago, thank God we've fast forward, otherwise I'd be peacefully shoring after 30 min of the movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Determination and courage
Review: Though Director Michael Mann took some liberties with the story, the fact is that Jeffrey Wigand stood up against considerable power and intimidation from the tobacco industry to get the word out that cigarettes contained chemicals that served no other purpose than to keep smokers addicted. Russell Crowe, putting on quite a few pounds for the role, plays the conflicted Wigand, whose commitment and determination are amazing. Al Pacino plays journalist, Lowell Bergman, whose commitment to journalistic integrity should be emulated by all in his field. Christopher Plummer's plays an egotistical, flawed, yet ultimately accountable and apologetic Mike Wallace. The tension and aire of mystery to this film is best enjoyed if you don't already know the full story. But after you see it, you'll want to find out how the real story went down!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: The Insider is a first rate movie with great performances from Al Pacino and Russell Crowe. The movie is about the man who blew the whistle on the Tobacco industry. It makes for a gripping tale in which justice prevails. It most definitely features as one of my personal favorites. I generaly only dont't watch movies a second time but this one has had repeated viewings.
Rating:
Summary: Who is the editor?!?!
Review: Ok, this movie is about 1.5 hours longer than it should have been... Did they forget to hire an editor? It starts out ok, but the whole thing just kinda strains at the end, until it gets to be like a neverending broken record. The make up jobs are weird as well. It seems like Russell Crowe never fully underwent his "aging" transformation. Yeah, he has on a grey wig, but his face is that of a relatively young person. Besides that, Al Pacino, who is like 15 years older than him in real life, looks 20 years younger than Crowe in the movie. It's an OK movie, but nothing special... Tip: have that fast forward button nearby, it will save u a headache.
Rating:
Summary: Best movie of 1999.
Review: This movie is riveting! The story of corporate dishonesty and manipulation is important and makes for fantastic drama. The acting by Al Pacino and Russell Crowe is nothing less than superb.
Rating:
Summary: Best Journalistic Movie Since Presidents Men
Review: While still in the newspaper game herself, novelist Anna Quindlen once wrote a surprisingly self-flagellating column in which she said that journalists step in and out of people's lives as easily as they do a pair of shoes. They cajole folks into spilling secrets and then move on to the next story while the subjects are left to wonder if their candor was worth it. That's what happens in The Insider, the best movie about the inner workings of big-time journalism since All the President's Men(1976), except that in this true tale of an exceedingly bad day at CBS's Black Rock headquarters, both the source and the reporter end up feeling betrayed. The reporter is Lowell Bergman (Pacino), a veteran producer at 60 Minutes. In 1995 he persuaded Jeffrey Wigand (Crowe), a scientist and former high-level executive at the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., to tape an interview with Mike Wallace in which Wigand blew the whistle on what B&W knew about smoking's dangers--and when it knew it. Wigand bravely did so despite death threats and an orchestrated smear campaign. But then the CBS eye blinked: Corporate brass, fearful of a huge lawsuit by B&W and of complicating the impending sale of the network, forbade broadcasting the interview. 60 Minutes executive producer Don Hewitt (Baker Hall) and, albeit reluctantly, Wallace (Plummer, making like a preening cat) went along. Wigand was left hanging out to dry until Bergman fought back. Michael Mann (Heat), who co-wrote and directed Insider, tells this complicated story clearly and compellingly. The film runs for 2 hours and 35 minutes, but there's no fat in it. Pacino, shouting only when absolutely necessary, is convincingly intense in his refusal to accept that the rules have changed. But Crowe (L.A. Confidential) is the core of this movie. Bulked up and balding, he movingly portrays a man who learns too late that while the truth may set you free, the cost is often considerable.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrific Film, dissapointing DVD
Review: The Insider was an amazing film with a great performance by Russell Crowe while Al Pacino gives his usual over the top performance (which for the most part works in this movie). Although the story could've ended up being another sappy Hollywood "pus-job" as someone else put it. Michael Mann uses his great directing skills to turn it into much more. He studies the role ethics play in business and doing the right thing vs. protecting yourself or your family. The only gripe I have with Mann is his choice of music in the film. It's okay most of the time, but in the end when Al Pacino makes his exit to a bass laden rap/techno fusion soundtrack I'd had enough. But the rest of the film is so good I added this movie to my collection a couple days after renting it. The DVD transer is good and the sound is good too, but the extras are dissapointing. What they call a making of featurette is actually just a really short (under 10 minutes) segment with a couple interviews. A great film that didn't get the treatment it deserves on DVD. Oh well, if you're a big fan of the film it'll probably be worth it.
Rating:
Summary: UNCONVINCING
Review: Something between a documentary and a movie there are serious problems with the plot. Remove Pacino and it is worth very little. This is a pity because the topic is important.
Rating:
Summary: Truly a Great Film
Review: This is a complex and political story about the 'fall' of the big tobacco companies at the hands of an 'insider' ex-executive. To me the greatness of this story is inside his mind. How he tries to weigh his options and understand what his fate will be. These decisions are complicated far further by his dedication to family, the loss of his marriage, loss of financial standing, fear for his children's future, so much more. The story is so rich it is beyond belief. Major credit to the actors and director! Worth seeing.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing movie--love Russell Crowe
Review: This is amazing. Russel just gets better and better--from The Sum of Us to LA Confidential to this. I found it better than American Beauty which won the Oscar. Buy it!
| 
