After being fired from a major tobacco company, scientist Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) contacts 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino) to spill the beans on the toxic practices of his former employer, despite the fact that he is still bound by a confidentiality agreement. Now, as Bergman and renowned reporter Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer) fight the brass at CBS to air the inflammatory interview, Wigand now faces lawsuits and must fend for the safety of his family. "The Insider" is a brilliant thriller that combines the acute sensibilities of director Michael Mann with an ingenious screenplay by Eric Roth. Told largely as two separate stories, most found the one involving Wigand's struggles to be the more intriguing one and although Crowe gives a towering performance, I must say that I was fascinated by the scenes involving Pacino and the inner workings of the 60 minutes studio. Also, it is absurd that Plummer was not even considered for an Oscar here. "The Insider" is an intelligent and thrilling modern nonfiction film, that features great performances and a damning account of an unscrupulous corporation.
