The Insider, Michael Mann’s follow up to Heat, was critically lauded. Unlike its predecessor, it was recognized by the Academy with seven Oscar nominations. Despite its acclaim, the film did not find an audience at the box office, making only a little over 29 million dollars in 1999.
To a degree, it’s not hard to understand why. The Insider may be a highly entertaining thriller, but a film about the true story of a scientist who blew the whistle on the tobacco industry doesn’t scream blockbuster—even with peak-level Russell Crowe and Al Pacino playing the leads. In fact, much of The Insider is basically middle-aged men standing around talking. The Disney-owned Touchstone Studios admirably put up a $68 million budget, but simply couldn’t figure out how to sell it.
Which is a shame. Because for Michael Mann The Insider is to Heat what Prince’s Sign O’ The Times is to his Purple Rain. That is to say it is far less loved than the artist’s most recognized work, but it may be – dare I say it…better.
For a movie shot mostly inside of homes, office buildings, and hotel rooms it is incredibly kinetic. Mann keeps the camera moving constantly, like a predator. He utilizes closeups that are so intimate in scope they seem almost invasive. In doing so, Mann creates palpable tension and stress. There are times when the camera closes in on Crowe when you feel like you are looking at a man trapped in both a literal and figurative box.
The Insider is largely a two-hander between Crowe’s too-dignified-for-his-own-good tobacco industry scientist, Jeffrey Wigand, and Pacino’s hard-charging activist and 60 Minutes producer, Lowell Bergman. Both men are trying to navigate the corporate world while standing ever so slightly outside of it. Both will learn that their belief in their ability to do so is mere illusion when both of their companies choose their bottom lines over integrity and transparency.
You might wonder why a straight shooter like Wigand would go to work for a tobacco company in the first place. They are hardly paragons of corporate decency – producing a product that kills people while swearing that “nicotine is not addictive.” Even in this regard, Wigand is upfront. Explaining to Bergman that he did it for the money and health care benefits, while naively hoping he could also do some good— there was the matter of his acutely asthmatic daughter and her health care needs to consider. He has reasons for making his deal with the devil and his eyes were open when he made it. But when the science on the addictive nature of cigarettes is made clear, and it’s also clear that tobacco companies are modifying cigarettes to boost the end user’s fix, Wigand can’t hold up his end of the deal any longer.
Bergman has a much longer run with CBS News before his own disillusionment. He left his life as a left-wing journalist to reach more people with bigger stories, and for more than a decade his arrangement with the news division met his personal standards. That is, until news divisions started to be run as profit-centers as opposed to, you know, news divisions. “Infotainment,” they call it. Bergman wants nothing to do with that. He believes 60 Minutes to be the last bastion of hard news, and he’s right… until he isn’t.
Of the two men, Wigand risks more. He loses almost everything over the course of the film: his job, his home, his marriage, and then there are the threats on his life. He takes this risk to expose the tobacco industry because he can’t live with himself if he remains silent. He is compelled to do it. If he doesn’t, he will surrender all that he is as a human being.
Bergman’s only matching concern is his integrity. When he gives his word to a source, he intends for it to be his bond. So, when in a fit of corporate fear, CBS bails on running Wigand’s interview after their subject has risked everything in his life, it is quite simply a bridge too far for Bergman. Even after CBS comes to their senses and finally decides to run the piece with the Wigand interview weeks later, the damage is already done for Bergman—as he tells Mike Wallace (played with tremendous zeal by Christopher Plummer), “what’s been broken here can’t be fixed.”
It’s hard to overstate just how good Crowe and Pacino are here. Crowe was on a magical ten-year run that started with L.A. Confidential and concluded with American Gangster in 2007 (sandwiched in between were The Insider, Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, Master & Commander, Cinderella Man, and 3:10 To Yuma). Yet, I would contend he was never better than he was as Jeffrey Wigand. It’s a deeply internal performance of a man under enormous pressure, who can see the easy way out before him but his conscience simply won’t let him take it. Crowe transforms himself by graying his hair and adding a few pounds, but it’s the deliberate nature of his speaking cadence that I found most compelling. Rarely speaking above a whisper, he is incredibly economical with his words. He is both sure of what is right and terrified that acting as he must will bring him no benefit, or even harm. Wigand seems an exceedingly difficult man. He is not warm, he is not friendly, but he is courageous in a way few of us could hope to be.
In the case of Al Pacino, I’ve often seen his role as Lowell Bergman as his great lost performance. He doesn’t make himself over physically or change his speech pattern to play the part, because he doesn’t need to. His persona melds so cleanly with what we imagine a “Lowell Bergman type” to be that no affectation is necessary. After finally winning an Oscar for Scent Of A Woman in 1992, Pacino gave several colorful performances—in particular Carlito’s Way, Heat, Devil’s Advocate, City Hall, and Any Given Sunday—that got him labeled as an over-actor who shouted too much. While I’ve always found that criticism to be reductive, it simply doesn’t apply in The Insider. That’s not to say that Pacino never raises his voice in the film (“…the cat, TOTALLY OUT OF THE BAG!”), it’s just to say that when he does it feels completely in character. I think he might have been a little overshadowed by Crowe’s tremendous (and admittedly subtler) performance and transformation.
This is a film that required a yin and a yang, and I can’t imagine any two actors doing it better. You have to fully believe that these two men would take the harder road even as they are passing easy-off exit ramps. These are men who intend to die with their honor intact.
The Insider feels like the story of the last two honest men on earth. Dinosaurs who survived the ice age only to find themselves surrounded by small creatures who appear to be of another species altogether. While neither comes out unscathed, they do manage to hold onto their integrity. The film argues that maybe that’s enough—if only just.
Sad news… RIP Brian Dennehy
Such an underrated actor. He was 81.
Jesus Alonso: Even though you have mention most of the really great movies of 1999, dont forget:
– Girl, Interrupted
– Cruel Intentions
– Audition
– Arlington Road
– Go
– Stigmata
– Human Traffic
– The War Zone
– Ratcatcher
– Color of Paradise
– Beau Travail
– Julien Donkey-Boy
– Kikujirō’s Summer
– Peppermint Candy
– Butterfly’s Tongue
– Rosetta
at least 2 of them, I did mention. On the others, several I did not see, however, Stigmata was a film I despised, and Audition is a film that I refuse to see (I have learnt most of what happen, and normally I do not stomach torture porn, as artistic as it may be… not many exceptions to that rule, as I saw The Human Centipede and A Serbian Film, and oddly enough, I defend both of them… but despite owning Hostel on DVD – my late husband bought it, saw it and advice me not to see it – I did see Roth’s The Green Inferno that while it has an interesting premise, it was horribly bad.
Arlington Road is deserving of a Reframe.
The Insider is such a great movie! And easily the art movie of Michael Mann´s career. He was in such a good roll with The Last of the Mohicans, Heath, Ali, The Insider, Collateral and Public Enemies. After that Mann just stopped making good movies. What happened?
Also remember being very surprised that Christopher Plummer was NOT nominated for supporting. He is such a gem in this movie! “Who told you your incompetent little fingers had the requisite skills to edit me!”
I feel that while Heat is the film that works as the definition of a Mann film and Miami Vice is the one that most loudly showcases why he’s an essential filmmaker, it’s this movie that most profoundly digs into the kinds of people Mann’s obsessed with. To think that people considered this movie “Oscar friendly” is absurd
While a great movie, 1999 was a SO AWESOME year that competition for Best of the year was insane… here is a quick summary (it is OK if your jaw drops)
Note: believe it or not, I still haven’t seen The Cider House Rules (not a Lasse Hallstrom fan) or The Talented Mr. Ripley (same with Anthony Minghella). For some reason, never saw Boys don’t Cry, Bringing out the Dead, Ride with the Devil, Cradle will Rock, A Map of the World…
The Insider
Fight Club
The Green Mile
The Blair Witch Project
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (one of the best musicals of all time, if you ask me… sue me)
The Sixth Sense
All About My Mother
The Matrix
American Beauty
Eyes Wide Shut
Magnolia
The Mummy (the FUN blockbuster)
Notting HIll
Office Space
Toy Story 2
Galaxy Quest (a movie that earned a certain reputation with time, so underrated back then)
Sleepy Hollow
The Virgin Suicides
Any Given Sunday
Being John Malkovich
The Boondock Saints
Dogma
Election
Three Kings
Analyze This
The Thomas Crown Affair (a really good remake)
Stuart Little
The Iron Giant
The Straight Story
Drop Dead, Gorgeous
Man on the Moon
Entrapment
Arlington Road
The Hurricane
Bowfinger
Stir of Echoes
Ghost Dog
Cookie’s Fortune
True Crime
Ravenous
Summer of Sam
Titus
Flawless
Dick
Fantasia 2000
Angela’s Ashes
The End of the Affair
Sweet and Lowdown
The Summer of Kikujiro
Crazy in Alabama (this is kind of underrated in all terms)
La Lengua de las Mariposas
Lola Rennt
BOLDED probably my top 10 of the year. #1… Fight Club
Top 10
1. Fight Club
2. The Blair Witch Project
3. The Matrix
4. South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
5. Magnolia
6. The Green Mile
7. Being John Malkovich
8. All about my Mother
9. Man on the Moon
10. The Sixth Sense
These would have been my Oscars…
Picture – Fight Club
Director – David Fincher, Fight Club
Actress – Cecilia Roth, All about my mother
Actor – Jim Carrey, Man on the Moon
Supporting Actress – Cameron Díaz, Any Given Sunday (and Being John Malkovich)
Supporting Actor – Michael Clarke Duncan, The Green Mile (even thought Tom Cruise gets close second for Magnolia, also Brad Pitt for Fight Club and Haley Joel Osment, for The Sixth Sense)
Original Screenplay – All about my mother
Adapted Screenplay – South Park, Bigger, Longer and Uncut (Fight Club close second)
Foreign Film – All about my mother
Animated – South Park, Bigger, Longer and Uncut
Score – Fight Club
Song – Unclefucka, South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
Film Editing – The Blair Witch Project
Cinematography – The Green Mile
Art Direction and Set Decoration – The Matrix
Costume – Titus
Sound Editing – The Matrix
Sound Mixing – The Matrix
Visual Effects – The Matrix
Make Up – Galaxy Quest
I’d go with:
Top 10:
1. Magnolia
2. Eyes Wide Shut
3. After Life
4. The Insider
5. The Straight Story
6. Being John Malkovich
7. The Iron Giant
8. The Talented Mr. Ripley
9. Black Cat, White Cat
10. Topsy-Turvy
Runners-up (in no particular order): The Matrix, Holy Smoke, South, Princess Mononoke, Toy Story 2, October Sky, Election, Three Kings, All About My Mother, Brining Out the Dead, The End of the Affair, Run, Lola, Run and Eternity and a Day
Director
Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia)
Runner-up: Stanley Kubrick (Eyes Wide Shut)
Nominees:
Hirokazu Kore-eda (After Life)
Michael Mann (The Insider)
David Lynch (The Straight Story)
Original Screenplay
Magnolia
Runner-up: After Life
Nominees:
Being John Malkovich
The Straight Story
Black Cat, White Cat
Adapted Screenplay
Eyes Wide Shut
Runner-up: The Insider
Nominees:
The Talented Mr. Ripley
The Iron Giant
Election
Ensemble
Magnolia
Runner-up: After Life
Nominees:
The Insider
Being John Malkovich
Black Cat, White Cat
Actress
Reese Witherspoon (Election)
Runner-up: Julianne Moore (The End of the Affair)
Nominees:
Kate Winslet (Holy Smoke)
Cecilia Roth (All About My Mother)
Annette Bening (American Beauty)
Actor
Tom Cruise (Eyes Wide Shut)
Runner-up: Russell Crowe (The Insider)
Nominees:
Richard Farnsworth (The Straight Story)
Bruno Ganz (Eternity and a Day)
Al Pacino (The Insider)
Supporting Actor
Tom Cruise (Magnolia)
Runner-up: Philip Baker Hall (Magnolia)
Nominees:
John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich)
Jude Law (The talented Mr. Ripley)
Christopher Plummer (The Insider)
Suppoting Actress
Melora Waters (Magnolia)
Runner-up: Julianne Moore (Magnolia)
Nominees:
Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense)
Samantha Morton (Sweet and Lowdown)
Catherine Keener (Being John Malkovich)
Editing
The Insider
Runner-up: Magnolia
Nominees:
Eyes Wide Shut
The Straight Story
Black Cat, White Cat
Cinematography
Eyes Wide Shut
Runner-up: The End of the Affair
Nominees:
The Straight Story
Magnolia
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Production Design
Eyes Wide Shut
Runner-up: Being John Malkovich
Nominees:
Topsy-Turvy
The Green Mile
The Iron Giant
Costume Design
Eyes Wide Shut
Runner-up: Topsy-Turvy
Nominees:
The Talented Mr. Ripley
The End of the Affair
The Matrix
Original Score
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Runner-up: The Straight Story
Nominees:
Princess Mononoke
The End of the Affair
American Beauty
Visual Effects
The Matrix
Runner-up: Being John Malkovich
Nominees:
Fight Club
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
The Mummy
Sound Design
Princess Mononoke
Runner-up: Fight Club
Nominees:
Bringing Out the Dead
The Iron Giant
The Matrix
Makeup/Hairstyling
The End of the Affair
Runner-up: Topsy-Turvy
Nominees:
The Matrix
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Eyes Wide Shut
To be true, I always had problems with “Fight Club” and consider “The Green Mile” probably one of the five worst films I ever saw, but I highly welcome this 1999 retrospect – truly a great year! This is my Top 10:
1. Being John Malkovich
2. Todo sobre mi madre
3. The Insider
4. Rosetta
5. The Straight Story
6. Election
7. Boys don´t cry
8. Magnolia
9. The talented Mr. Ripley
10. eXistenZ
So, The Green Mile is worse that the work by Uwe Boll, Eli Roth and Ed Wood? 😉
I don´t know – but definitely one of the worst films I ever saw! 😉
(I´ve actually never seen a film by Uwe Boll, Eli Roth or Ed Wood – but the latter one at least is the reference for a very good film – you´ll have to give him that)
The Green Mile > The Shawshank Redemption, by the way. And one of the best and most accurate adaptations from a book, I have seen. I read the book and it really captures everything of significance and poignant. Darabont’s classical approach to the material invigorates a story that otherwise could have become unbearable for either being too grim or too sugarcoated. I found that Darabont got the exactly right balance between horror and hope, and delivered a film that became an instant classic.
I appreciate you saw something in it that I didn´t see. But to me, Green Mile is unbearable kitschy, a highly problematic trivialization of death penalty and above all an overly offensive and backward portrayal of a black character that recalls bad memories from the way black characters have been portrayed in prior times.
well, on the contrary, it seems your problems are with the source material, then, not with the excellent film adaptation.