The Insider (1999)
Balls-out "60 Minutes" producer Lowell Bergman sniffs a story when a former research biologist for Brown & Williamson, Jeff Wigand, won't talk to him. When the company leans hard on Wigand to honor a confidentiality agreement, he gets his back up. Trusting Bergman and despite a crumbling marriage, he goes on camera for a Mike Wallace interview and risks arrest for contempt of court... (imdb)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Michael Mann
Written By: Michael Mann, Eric Roth, Marie Brenner
Starring: Christopher Plummer, Rip Torn, Michael Gambon, Al Pacino, Bruce McGill, Gina Gershon, Colm Feore, Philip Baker Hall, Russell Crowe, Bill Sage, Diane Venora, Renee Olstead
Genres: Drama, Suspense/Thriller, Biography
Country: USA
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The Insider belongs to 56 collections
1. Academy Award - Oscar - Best Picture and Nominees (collaborative: moderated by smviper00 - 44 stars)
2. New York Times' The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made (collaborative: moderated by theficionado - 32 stars)
3. The Guardian's 1000 films to see before you die (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 30 stars)
4. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2014 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Jehan - 27 stars)
5. AAA: Empire's five star movies (collaborative: moderated by KasperL - 24 stars)
6. IMDb Top 250 Complete (collaborative: moderated by Jorg - 23 stars)
7. Academy Award - Oscar - ALL Best Picture, Directing, Acting & Screenplay Nominees (collaborative - 22 stars)
8. They Shoot Pictures' Recommended Viewing (collaborative: moderated by Cinephile - 19 stars)
9. Best of criticker: Drama (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 18 stars)
10. Edgar Wright 1000 Favorite Movies (Aug 2016) (collaborative: moderated by Aron Ericson - 17 stars)
11. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2013 revision) (collaborative: moderated by rant1229 - 16 stars)
12. Films available in HD (collaborative: moderated by kubricksucks - 13 stars)
13. Based on true events (collaborative: moderated by iconogassed - 12 stars)
14. films101.com's 5 star films (collaborative: moderated by ppinocchio - 11 stars)
15. Business, Finance and Economics (collaborative: moderated by djross - 10 stars)
16. Journalism (collaborative: moderated by djross - 9 stars)
17. Best of criticker: Suspense / Thriller (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 9 stars)
18. Epic (collaborative - 8 stars)
19. List: Taschen (collaborative: moderated by KasperL - 6 stars)
20. Positive Psychology Films (collaborative - 6 stars)
21. Ekşi Sinema "Alternatif" Top 250 (collaborative - 6 stars)
22. Best by different standards (public: sesito71 - 6 stars)
23. Top 3000 movies with the most votes on IMDb (public: fanfic - 5 stars)
24. Los Angeles Film Critics Association: Best Film (collaborative: moderated by CCLZA - 4 stars)
25. Triumvirate of Oscar Winning Actors/Actresses in the Cast (3 or more) (collaborative: moderated by Dunstan-xxx - 4 stars)
26. Cinemascope (collaborative - 3 stars)
27. American Cinematographer's 50 best potographed films 1998-2008 (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 3 stars)
28. Coheed's Films I Need To See Or Try To Track Down (public: Coheed - 3 stars)
29. Best of criticker: Biography (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 2 stars)
30. Oscar: Best picture nominee - 1990-1999 (public: Ross - 2 stars)
31. Top 2000 movies with the most votes on IMDb (public: fanfic - 2 stars)
32. They Shoot Pics (TSPDT) 2013 new additions (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 1 star)
33. Based on an article (collaborative: moderated by iconogassed - 1 star)
34. Availability: Disney+ and Star Canada (collaborative: moderated by geohawk - 1 star)
35. My Top 100 (public: 3dRevelation - 1 star)
36. IMDb Top 250 (2 years) (public: sianaa - 1 star)
37. Blank Check with Griffin & David (public: TychoCelchuu - 1 star)
38. toucé (public: rnest - 1 star)
39. Integrity (or lack of) (collaborative)
40. Whistleblower (collaborative: moderated by Ag0stoMesmer)
41. Ratings (collaborative: moderated by cheapthrills)
42. simon (collaborative: moderated by f_ranzen)
43. Available on Divicast (collaborative: moderated by Dunstan-xxx)
44. Darko DVD RC2 (public: Vandelay1)
45. NOG TE ZIEN (public: lockstock)
46. New & sealed (public: majikat)
47. 1999: Year in Review (public: polanski28)
48. My DVD Collection (public: balseiros)
49. Top 10 (public: Kopenhaver)
50. Filmspotting Ratings Project: Week 21 (public: PeaceAnarchy)
51. Peliculas que tengo (public: escarta)
52. Movies to See: History/Biography (public: Lord Moe)
53. C-1990 (public: cantahta)
54. seen in 2021 (public: sproost)
55. nextup (public: valkyrian)
56. My ratings (public: tpbradbury)
Browse the full list of collections
| Stars | User | Rating | |
| 5 |  |
Pickpocket | 8 82nd |
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Great story, great performances and great directing. It's just under 3 hours and is an actionless subject but Mann tells it in a way that is engaging and very tense. Bruce McGill is amazing in the court room scene.
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| 5 |  |
Huychu | 99 98th |
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Leave it to Michael Mann to make a two-and-a-half hour actionless film that remains as riveting as any summer blockbuster. Everyone in the film gets a moment to shine (Bruce McGill's verbal throatpunch in the courtroom is amazing), and that combined with career-best work from Crowe, Pacino, and Mann, and you're left with a fiery indictment not only of corporate America, but of the media that allows them to go unchecked. Devastating, beautiful, and flawless.
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| 4 |  |
juntakinte99 | 100 97th |
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This is up there with All the President's Men and JFK in terms of movies based on real life investigations. Just as Heat compared the drive of both cops & robbers, here Mann shows the intensity to show the world the truth that both whistleblowers & journalists have. And it helps when that intensity is performed by Pacino and Crowe. The writing is quotable, the photography claustrophobic, and the music creates a haunting chorus for the Shakespearean conflict. Highly recommended.
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| 3 |  |
Alex Watkins | 5 91st |
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On the unavoidable rot that seeps into a free press when tainted by corporate influence, the failure of institutions and safeguards to protect vulnerable individuals, and the moral compromises necessary just to peaceably exist in a world straining against the suffocating boundaries of global capitalism. Boy, good thing we moved past all that.
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| 3 |  |
KasperL | 85 93rd |
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A director and two actors at the top of their game. All three careers have been going downhill since.
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| 3 |  |
Jeb | 96 89th |
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Mann very well may be at the top of his culmination and he adds on to his esteemed reputation with this extraordinary film. Russel Crowe is at his pinnacle here along with the rest of the popularly and wisely selected cast. It doesn't contain any junctures of violence or vehemence at all, but somehow it leaves an insecure feeling beneath your skin. Great.
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| 3 |  |
DavidBlast | 95 96th |
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Mann's best film. This is the story of some of the last people, for whom concepts like "Integrity" were worth losing all for. Strikingly beautiful film, with an amazing soundtrack to boot.
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| 3 |  |
eCitizen | 91 90th |
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Marvelous cast. It Illustrates what happens when someone blows the whistle on the misconduct and greed of a huge corporation. A tense believable story with exceptional acting. It shows the kind of collateral damage that occurred during his seemingly futile attempt to expose a corporate behemoth, and the risks involved when revealing corporate secrets to the world. A tense and engaging drama.
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| 2 | svicciarelli | 93 91st |
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Terrific moviemaking - a solid feature through and through.
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| 2 |  |
doctor7 | 94 97th |
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Michael Mann's brilliance with The Insider is creating an absolutely intense thriller that is completely composed of white collar crime and devoid of any physical action scenes. That is not to say there is no action in this movie. Instead of tenacious gunfights you have political maneuverings and careful social navigation. Pacino and Crowe are both in top form and the rest of the cast are equally good. There is literally nothing about this movie that isn't enthralling.
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| 2 |  |
Kojiless | 84 88th |
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20,679 physicians say that the Insider is less irritating than Michael Mann's other films. It's toasted!
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| 2 |  |
Vince Leo (Qwipster's Movie Reviews) | 86 95th |
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This is definitely one of the best films of 1999, and needless to say, a must-see not only because of it's message but the fact that its one of the most well-made and riveting movies in the 90s. [Full Review]
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| 2 |  |
PeaceAnarchy | 90 94th |
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Incredibly compelling story, well acted and well shot. The only complaint is that the music is a little overbearing.
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| 2 |  |
LennyNero | 100 99th |
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One of my favourite movies of all time.
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| 2 |  |
Bojangles | 95 99th |
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Combines compelling and substantial material with arthouse sensibilities/production.
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| 2 |  |
frederic_g54 | 8 77th |
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'The Insider' must have been amazing for its time, I'm afraid it's not really timeless, unless you include its topic of corporate moguls unapologetically distorting the truth. Docudramas also falter as they're embellished for dramatic effect. Still, I'd feel bad if I didn't mention the sheer quality of this film: smart, engaging, with uniformly excellent performances (especially Crowe). People who get bored by this must have the attention span of a goldfish.
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| 2 | dk1 | 100 96th |
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Intellectual. Has it all: ethical dilemmas, great direction, great music, great acting.
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| 2 |  |
lawrence | 100 96th |
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Utter genius.
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| 2 |  |
Squarehead | 90 94th |
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I loved this film. Pacino gives a performance of amazing passion and really does show what a master he is. I do have a problem with Crowe though as he never really convinces me no matter what the role.
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| 2 |  |
Prismatic | 99 97th |
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Mann's best work second only to Thief.
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| 2 |  |
hellboy76 | 85 96th |
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A sort of subdued Michael Mann presents a really nice piece of journalistic true-life suspense. It runs really long and it feels like some scenes are just repeats of themselves but it's still pretty amazingly well crafted and acted. Plummer is great as Mike Wallace and there are a ton of familiar faces turning in solid work.
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| 2 |  |
3dRevelation | 88 95th |
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Very interesting for a true story. Despite its 2.5 hour runtime, I never felt really uninterested. The best thing about the film though is its performances. Crowe and Pacino were great, and I thought Plummer was very good.
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| 1 | JoshStew06 | 84 69th |
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Really good, and fascinating movie with Russell Crowe's best performance, in my opinion.
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| 1 | DrC | 92 82nd |
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Superb. What happens when you put smart people together. Loved it
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| 1 |  |
Moribunny | 65 65th |
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Nice journalistic nailbiter, and possibly the last worthwhile effort from Michael Mann.
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| 1 |  |
MadMan | 97 91st |
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Mann at the height of his powers in the 1990s. The tobacco companies are evil bastards and in a better world their assets would be seized.
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| 1 | SG_Wannabe | 95 83rd |
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Masterful. One of the most flawless movies out there. Superb acting, great music and an engrossing story.
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| 1 |  |
TheDiceman | 75 89th |
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Great film.
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| 1 | MMDMAHFan | 95 90th |
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Simply of one Michael Mann's crowning achievments.
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| 1 |  |
3Names | 93 89th |
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Simply great, and important...
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| 1 |  |
AFlickering | 4 58th |
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disagree with sellis re: crowe, if only because a degree of awkwardness comes with the territory of being a nerdy whistleblower with your family on one shoulder and your conscience on the other. thing does kind of feel like mann (and pacino) heroically straining against the inherently dry procedural quality of the material though, and perhaps the celluloid as well; it can't help but feel watered down and redundant in light of mann's liberating transition into digital.
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| 1 | blakout | 90 81st |
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Loved it great directing by Mann and an awesome performance by Crowe.
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| 1 | nocturna | 95 82nd |
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Compelling and important story. Superbly acted.
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| 1 |  |
Vandelay1 | 75 86th |
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Very Nice
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| 1 |  |
Gr8Googly | 84 83rd |
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Michael Mann thriller with the role that Crowe should've won the Oscar for. Pacino adds to the tension in this story about Big Tobacco and modern journalism converging on the life of a brilliant scientist. Worth the almost 3 hours.
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| 1 |  |
panzerwolf | 80 84th |
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It's a very compelling thriller, even when there's not much happening action-wise and it leaves you wondering about the ethics of the media. Crowe did a great job in this one.
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| 1 |  |
Weafdog | 89 99th |
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Another great Michael Mann film with good acting all around and great visuals and score as is the norm with a Mann production. Also a great commentary about the business of the media news conglomerate and the unhappy marriage between revealing the truth and making a profit.
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| 1 |  |
Eric WK | 75 65th |
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Another very strong effort from Mann. His ability to build tension and suspense is on display here just as much as it is in Heat and Collateral, but in this film he doesn't use violence or action sequences to achieve it. (Which isn't to say that all of the tension in those films is a result of the violence and action but a large portion of it is.) The script is very good, certainly the best Eric Roth has ever had a hand in, and the leads are great. Probably my favorite Crowe performance to date.
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| 1 | tef | 100 97th |
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Depresses the shit out of you. And then you start to roar. And finally, it roars back. Good fucking movie.
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| 1 |  |
Ocelot | 80 89th |
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This is a good-ass movie in which Al Pacino is slightly more justified than usual in yelling. Christopher Plummer is the most prolific older person this side of Stan Lee. You can tell this movie was made pre-9/11 when Al Pacino gets a box from "Anonymous" covered in black tape and goes "well huh let's have a looksee at what's in here!"
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| 1 |  |
JohnSandwich | 90 95th |
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brilliant
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| 1 | apm2091 | 83 85th |
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Mann, this was good! Terrific performances from Pacino and Crowe; compelling and nicely-paced for a two and a half-hour movie.
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| 1 |  |
Judge Holden | 7 88th |
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A criminally underrated film, The Insider is mesmerizing thanks equally to Mann's direction and to some great performances by Pacino and Crowe. Don't be fooled by the summary with its references to confidentiality agreements and research biologists. This is not a dry and tedious legal drama. This is an excellent thriller, even better than "Collateral" which, while certainly more entertaining, also feels more contrived. Even at nearly three hours, it never overstays its welcome.
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| 1 |  |
FrederikA | 95 98th |
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Mann at his best with this fantastic true story.
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| 1 |  |
redacted | 88 89th |
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Bruce McGill knocked it out of the park. Top notch composition & cinematography on show here too. Wouldn't mind being on the right side of those tobacco dollars though.
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| 1 |  |
natebarrios | 75 74th |
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HE'S GOT A *pacino gestures his hands in a circle* GREAT SCOOP!
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| 1 |  |
hologram | 91 80th |
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Extremely well-played. Crowe's performance and his character's dilemma is what drives the film. A bit overlong; the latter half, with its CBS machinations and Bergman trying to get the interview on the air are not as good as the first half (but still great stuff).
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| 1 | damil | 75 81st |
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I quite like stories about journalism, so I enjoyed that. The cast was good, and Michael Mann's direction was great. It was fairly long, and I won't claim that my attention was always captured, but that doesn't necessarily mean I think it should have been any shorter. Yeah. It was good. That's all.
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| 1 |  |
Leonardis | 94 80th |
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Pacino, Crowe, and Plummer are all extremely good, and the supporting cast is all good as well. Mann turns from straight action movies and thrillers to tell a story that is more realistic and upsetting. Good work from everyone on board and well-worth a watch.
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| 1 |  |
chmul_cr0n | 85 96th |
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very awesome performances
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| 1 |  |
WalkenRoll | 80 74th |
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A little bit overlong at times - you really feel like you've spent 160 minutes with these people - it's up there with All the Presidents Men in terms of a thriller. Heat will always be Mann's best work to me though
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| 1 |  |
thehynes | 62 75th |
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very interesting film. Great performance from Crowe. Blows my mind that they could get away with claiming they thought nicotine wasn't addictive - big money talks I suppose :-
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| 1 | msdstc | 75 74th |
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Solid Michael Mann thriller
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| 1 |  |
patman | 80 92nd |
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An intelligent and intense corporate thriller that truly captures the traumatic experiences of a whistleblower in the tobacco industry. It's well written with a penetrating dialogue that centers around two very different personalities, Bergman and Wigand who both fights for what they believe in, no matter the cost. The acting is superb, like the court scene with McGill, Pacinos confrontation with CBS news or the interview scene where they again uses the soundtrack effectively.
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| 1 |  |
JSchlansky | 90 91st |
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Utterly gripping. Crowe and Pacino are both great in this and are especially explosive whenever they share the screen together. One of Pacino's best performances of the 90s to be sure. I think Michael Mann is really undervalued for the way he works with actors, he truly brings out the best in them. Also, it literally ends with a slow-motion shot of Al Pacino popping the collar on his leather jacket, as if you needed a hint that this movie is from 1999.
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| 1 | Zipster | 95 92nd |
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Empowered by pitch-perfect naturalistic performances and Mann's simultaneously inventive and matter-of-fact direction, this sober, exact film remains an important and topical film because it's a realistic modern rendering of the cataclysmal price of telling the truth in a world owned by mega-corporations.
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| 1 |  |
zoink | 75 90th |
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Really enjoyed this movie, if I watch it again it might move up in the ratings. Could have been a little shorter.
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| 1 |  |
feritdgn | 95 97th |
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Michael Mann is the man.
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| 1 |  |
gwynbleidd | 76 63rd |
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Well-made movie with some great scenes and good acting, but they could (and should) have cut at least 30 minutes. Started to lose my interest in the 2nd half.
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| 1 | Pickle_Man | 90 77th |
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Who knew playing golf in a suit could be so intimidating?
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| 1 | doyler29 | 90 86th |
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This is Michael Mann in top form. The film is his follow-up to "Heat", and in many ways it's a companion piece. It's about two men who's life circumstances are irrevocably tied together as they mirror each other. In this film, both men must face the importance of telling the truth in face the great adversity. Both actors turn in powerful performances, and, somewhat surprisingly, Crowe is the more impressive of the two.
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| 1 | matthagen | 85 94th |
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Seen: 2. I avoided rewatching The Insider for 20 years, due to the runtime and the lack of action to break up the politics. But I got around to it again, and I am so glad I did. This is an eye opening, rewarding experience, filled with great performances. The pace is impeccable, and the experience is never dry or too convoluted. I hope this isn't a movie that gets forgotten about.
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| 1 |  |
IamTyphoon | 82 81st |
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Institutions are controlled by governments that are funded by corporations. Lowell Bergman remarks "What did I win?" You cannot win against the overwhelming tentacles of corporate influence and greed.
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| 1 |  |
Scrib | 69 45th |
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Great cast, stylishly directed, fairly engaging, 40 minutes too long. Pacino dynamics = surprisingly balanced(ish).
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| Average Percentile 66.87% from 3925 Ratings |  |