I was disappointed when, as I exited the cineplex where I just had seen Michael Mann's fluidly constructed "The Insider," the person behind me said to her date, "That movie just lumped two plots together."
Obviously, she didn't get it. What Mann has done is create a cinematic jigsaw puzzle, putting some pieces together while simultaneously removing others. Part suspense drama, part journalism industry exposé, "The Insider" is a film that demands attention.
Basing their material on real events chronicled in Marie Brenner's Vanity Fair article "The Man Who Knew Too Much," Mann and co-writer Eric Roth (an Oscar-winner for "Forrest Gump") tell the story of a tentative bond forged by two social crusaders: scientist Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) and "60 Minutes" producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino).
Wigand, a hotheaded employee fired from Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. for "poor communication skills," poses a major threat to the cigarette industry. Armed with the knowledge that his former company chemically enhanced the addictive effects of nicotine but hindered by a confidentiality agreement he was forced to sign, he joins forces with Bergman to find the proper way to blow the whistle.
But that's not even the most exciting part of "The Insider." The addictive effects of nicotine are well-known by now; the film's revelation comes from its portrayal of the media as a corporate agent.
Wigand puts himself on the line to speak out against his former employers in a "60 Minutes" interview -- death threats eventually cause his wife (Diane Venora of Mann's "Heat") to leave him and take their two children. But when all is said and done, CBS executives forbid the broadcast of the interview when Brown & Williamson threatens to sue the network.
Mann faced a potentially huge obstacle in documenting the triangular battle between corporate America, network agendas and a moral high road, but dynamic performances -- from Pacino, Christopher Plummer as news anchor Mike Wallace and especially Crowe -- elevate the film to more than just a fly-on-the-wall treatment. "The Insider" is a roller-coaster ride in which hidden truths and devastating accusations provide the sharp turns.
Much of the sharpness comes from Crowe ("L.A. Confidential"), whose subtly volatile work allows him to disappear within Wigand, a character 20 years Crowe's senior. Crowe never airbrushes the flaws out of his Wigand, a hot-tempered alcoholic who occasionally slaps his wife. But he does invoke sympathy as he shows Wigand eventually becoming an emotional hostage, a victim of paranoia caused by outside forces and compounded by inner turmoil.
Mann and Roth must have determined that "The Insider" needed a clear-cut good guy, so they fashioned a cardboard character out of Bergman. He's idealized into a glamorously unrelenting purveyor of justice who finds it unbelievable that CBS would put a brick wall between him and the truth. Yes, it's unrealistic to think that Bergman never cut any corners or bent any rules to get where he was. But for the film's sake, this rendering is acceptable: It gives us someone to root for.
And Pacino's work as Bergman is what threads "The Insider" together rather than allowing two separate stories to coexist on the same celluloid reel. Whereas Bergman originally helped a vengeance-hungry Wigand, the film's second half reverses the reciprocal relationship. The Wigand interview becomes Bergman's child, and Wigand must aid Bergman as he tries to save it.
Completing the triumvirate is Plummer, who creates an eerily uncanny impression of industry stalwart Wallace. As the crusty newsman sides with the network's decision not to air the interview, he commands attention, if not necessarily respect. Wallace represents the beast created by the beauty of a business that focuses on image and reputation.
Accentuating the power of perception is the truly beautiful work of cinematographer Dante Spinotti, including a scene of falsely alluring serenity at a golf driving range during the night and a shot of Bergman, lost and defeated, walking through the gorgeous aqua waves of a tropical resort. Mann and Spinotti create a visual dreamscape that turns into more of a nightmare.
"The Insider" is the most daring and fully realized work of Mann's career. His films always have had panache, but here he finally succeeds in melding style with substance. This tantalizing film demonstrates how difficult it can be for the truth to be heard, but also why it's so necessary to say it.
I feel sorry for that girl in the theater who didn't "get it." She missed out on a celebration of the ordinary miracles in life. And I'm not just blowing smoke when I say that.
Grade: A-
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