The Insider

By Tushar Amin

Director:  Michael Mann
Produced by:  Michael Mann and Pieter Jan Brugge
Starring:  Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, Christopher Plummer and Philip Baker Hall.

Ratings:  *  *  * (Good)
Anything special:  Good ol' Al
Offers:  A look through the smoke screen
Comments:  Toooooo looooooooong!

'Nicotine IS addictive. Is NOT. Is TOO. Is NOT.' Well, 'The Insider' tries to put the argument to rest. The movie begins with a motorcade racing through the streets of some Arabian city, with armed escorts dangling from all twelve sides, et al. It is carrying a blindfolded Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino) to negotiate an interview with an international terrorist. Bergman is a hardcore investigative reporter and producer for Mike Wallace's (Christopher Plummer) '60 Minutes' interview series on CBS News Channel. And Bergman makes no compros, not even with the Khomeni-Osama Bin Laden clone.

Cut to family man Dr Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) who is one of the topmost researchers in the American tobacco industry. He gets fired from his job at Brown & Williamson (B&W), America's number three tobacco company when he tries to stop the tobacco giant from "manipulating the dosage of a hallucinogen in cigarettes that would enhance the impact by making it easier for nicotine to dissolve in the blood". Well, in Queen's English, it means that the hallucino stuff would give a greater kick and a better high to Smoking-Joe and make it more addictive.

Being a scientist with a conscience, Wigand promptly FedExes some technical stuff to Bergman, who then convinces Wigand to appear on '60 Minutes' to let "30 million Americans know the truth". To get around the confidentiality clause, Bergman cleverly arranges for Wigand to be the most important witness in lawsuits filed by Mississippi and 49 other American states against the tobacco industry. When executives at B&W come to know about this, they try to expand the scope of Wigand's confidentiality agreement failing which, they start terrorizing him.

Wigand however goes ahead with his testimony against the powers that be, even as his family breaks up and is separated from his beloved daughters. But his troubles are not over yet as the bad guys dig up mistakes from his past and defame his character in the Press.

Meanwhile, B&W threatens to sue CBS News if it telecasts details bound by the confidentiality agreement ... a suit that endangers CBS' existence. Bergman's credibility is threatened when a revised '60 Minutes' without Wigand's interview is telecast. Not one to take things lying down, Bergman taps his sources in the media world and embarrasses CBS into telecasting the original version.

The American population learns the truth. The case however, is settled out of court. At first glance, Wigand seems to be the ultimate insider, but it is Bergman who justifies the title as he manipulates the media with inside knowledge of the industry. Ultimately, this is a story of two insiders out to make sure that the truth gets out.

Streeeeeetching over 180 minutes, the movie has its brilliant moments, especially when Al Pacino lights up the screen with his inimitable panache. There are a few touching moments too, soft-focus and all. Most of the family shots are very awkward though. The editing could have been snappier and falls short of the standards one is used to from the director of Heat, Michael Mann. Background score by Lisa Gerrard and Pieter Jan Brugge is exceptionally great.

It is one of those good movies that require a little patience. If you can do without a smoke for three hours at a stretch, go ahead and indulge. Those interested in the media will definitely enjoy it.

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