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Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, Christopher Plummer, Diane Venora, Philip Baker Hall ... see more see more... , Lindsay Crouse , Debi Mazar , Stephen Tobolowsky , Colm Feore , Bruce McGill , Gina Gershon , Michael Gambon , Rip Torn , Lynne Thigpen , Hallie Kate Eisenberg , Michael Paul Chan , Linda Hart , Robert Harper , Nestor Serrano , Pete Hamill , Wings Hauser , Cliff Curtis , Renee Olstead , Michael Moore , Michael Moore (XVI)

The Insider tells the true story of a man who decided to tell the world what the seven major tobacco companies knew (and concealed) about the dangers of their product. Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) w... read more read more...as a scientist employed in research for a tobacco firm, Brown and Williamson. Not long after he was fired by Brown and Williamson, Wigand came into contact with Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino), a producer for 60 Minutes who worked closely with journalist Mike Wallace (played here by Christopher Plummer). Bergman arranged for Wigand to be interviewed by Wallace for a 60 Minutes expose on the cigarette industry, though Wigand was still bound by a confidentiality agreement not to discuss his employment with the company. Despite Wigand's willingness to talk, CBS pulled his interview from at the last minute after Brown and Williamson threatened a multi-billion dollar lawsuit. The staff of 60 Minutes and CBS News were soon embroiled in an internal struggle over the killing of the story, and Wigand found himself the subject of lawsuits and a smear campaign, without his full story reaching the public. The Insider was directed by Michael Mann and also features Diane Venora, Philip Baker Hall, Debi Mazar, Colm Feore, and Rip Torn. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

87% liked it

53,881 ratings

Critics

96% liked it

132 critics

R, 2 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Michael Mann

Release Date: November 5, 1999

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DVD Release Date: April 11, 2000

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Stats: 2,747 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,747)

  • jamers2011
    July 4, 2011
    jamers2011
    Excellent...I had high expectations, but this was brilliant!

    The acting in this film is excellent, especially from leading actors Al Pacino and Russell Crowe, who recieved an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. His performance is excellent, but for me it was Al Pacino who deserve... read mored the Oscar nod. He gives a fantastic performance. The scipt of The Insider is genius! Even scenes with two characters talking in a car are intense. The dialogue in this film is so realistic and strong through the very long 170 minute running time, but it never lets up. Another thing that stuck out about this film is the music, not the music itself, but the way it is used! Even in the scenes where there is only soft music in the background, but it still adds SO much to emotion of the story. Finally, the direction is phenomenal in this film! This was my first Michael Mann film so I didn't know what to expect, but I definitely plan to seek out his other work now.

    The Insider is an intense and emotional thriller that is a must see. Nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director, see this movie!
  • SajinPA
    June 12, 2011
    SajinPA
    Russel Crowe delivers what could be one of his finest performances as a stolid suffering whistle-blower in this corporate conspiracy thriller. Michael Mann examines here how brutal and catastrophic it can be for a common man to stand up against the corporate giants. Even more dis... read moreturbing is the fact that the events in the movies are based on a real story and real people.
  • stevenecarrier
    June 2, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    I absolutely love films like Michael Mann's "The Insider." Here is a taunt, knotty, sophisticated moral issue thriller that is written, directed and acted with a visceral intensity that is usually unmatched. This intense character piece works just as well as a corporate conspirac... read morey thriller. Mann is great at crafting slow burning suspense, weaving characters and story and always finding ways to make ordinary scenes compelling and surreal. "The Insider" is near perfect.
  • emilebond007
    May 30, 2011
    emilebond007
    This is so powerful filmmaking it gave me chills. These are the kind of movies that manage to prove real events are never better told than on films.
    Everything on Mann's The Insider deserves recognition.
    A thrilling masterwork from anyone who put their heart in this film.
  • rjayhutchinson
    July 30, 2010
    rjayhutchinson
    A compelling tale mired by a very mediocre screenplay and a score which felt intrusive and bizarre at times. Nevertheless, this film features three fantastic performances from Pacino, Crowe, and Plummer. Though marketed as a story of espionage and whistleblowing, the film is a mu... read morech more personal drama than one would expect, perhaps too personal for its own good, as the main plot is far more interesting. Not at all a bad film, but it certainly could've been better with better writing and a slight shift in focus.
  • ythelastman89
    April 7, 2010
    ythelastman89
    About as good as contemporary drama's can get. Michael Mann usually never disappoints in giving you a beautiful blue-gray background, surreal images and perfectly shot scenes. The performances also add to the feel of the movie, Russell Crowe both physically and mentally really to... read moreok a leap with his role. Al Pacino also gives a great performance, up to par with the best of his work. I think the story is extremely important and one that everyone should be exposed to. It shows how much goes into an episode of 60 Minutes if nothing else.
  • imrealgod
    January 12, 2010
    imrealgod
    Excellent movie based on real life.
  • ironclad1609
    January 4, 2010
    ironclad1609
    Director Michael Mann being his awesome self, delivers another exciting, character-based thriller that works even without much crime. Mostly it is a praise of investigative journalism, but also the price that comes with it for informants, networks and journalists all the same. Th... read moree acting is superb, especially Pacino and Crowe breathe life into their characters, make us care for them and their story. The fact that a movie in which people mostly talk for over two and a half hours keeps us on the edge of our seat speaks for itself. That's top notch entertainment, intelligent, well made and thought provoking.
  • ScoopOnline
    December 15, 2009
    ScoopOnline
    Two men driven to tell the truth... whatever the cost.
  • SirPant
    September 23, 2009
    SirPant
    A powerful and important film, beautifully shot!

View All The Insider Reviews

Critic Reviews

Andrew Sarris
April 27, 2007
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

What I didn't expect was an intelligently absorbing entertainment that ran for two hours and 40 minutes, during which I didn't once look at my watch -- just about the highest praise I can bestow upon ... Full Review

Liam Lacey
April 25, 2003
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

Pumped up with sharp editing, vivid performances and a damning true story to tell, it's a morality tale with a hard contemporary punch. Full Review

Peter Rainer
June 18, 2002
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine

It's a good thing Wigand isn't a conventional, come-to-the-rescue hero in The Insider, because, although Michael Mann tries for a victory dance, there's ultimately little cause for cheer. Full Review

Peter Travers
May 8, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Mann turns a moral issue into riveting suspense.

Rita Kempley
March 21, 2001
Rita Kempley, Washington Post

Mann, who mastered style in his TV series Miami Vice and previous films like Heat, adds substance to the formula with the intensely dramatic, fiercely principled Insider. Full Review

J. Hoberman
January 1, 2000
J. Hoberman, Village Voice

At 155 minutes, The Insider may be pumped-up, but it's rarely boring. Full Review

Owen Gleiberman
January 1, 2000
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

A vigorous and engrossing exercise in '70s - conspiracy - movie nostalgia. Full Review

Michael Wilmington
January 1, 2000
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

An admirable picture, written with real conviction and directed and acted with unusual intelligence and intensity.

Janet Maslin
January 1, 2000
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Mann has directed The Insider with a pulse-quickening panache that heightens the tensions within its story. Full Review

Joe Baltake
January 1, 2000
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

Pacino and Crowe dominate the film, with a fine ensemble on the periphery. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Lowell Bergman: I hear shut the segment down, cut Wigand loose, obey orders and fuck off, that's what I hear.
    • Lowell Bergman: And he's only the key witness in the biggest public health reform issue, maybe the biggest, most-expensive corporate-malfeasance case in U.S. history.
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  • For which movies was " Russell Crowe " won/nomitated for an academy award ?  Answer »
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