Overview

The Insider is a true story that follows Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe), a former executive and chemist who worked with major tobacco company Brown & Williamson. Wigand blows the whistle on inappropriate practices within the tobacco company concerning the addiction of nicotine and other substances. Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino), a reporter with "60 Minutes," convinces Wigand to do an interview with CBS correspondent Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer). In the span of 158 minutes, the movie follows actual events that transpired, including the threats and smear campaign that were organized against him by Brown & Williamson, the disintegration of Wigand's life and family, and Bergman's efforts to get the interview to air despite CBS's attempts to censor the show in fear of a multibillion-dollar lawsuit from the tobacco company.

The movie shows the love-hate relationship between Wigand and Bergman, as well as the relationship between Bergman and Wallace as they are faced with diverging ethical decisions. The movie also shows how journalism and new outlets are influenced by corporate pressures and companies, as well as money and interpersonal conflict. 

The film was released in 1999 and, despite a $90 million budget, the movie only grossed just less than $29 million. Even with the lack of the public's draw to the film, it received countless awards including seven Academy Award Oscar nominations.

Michael Mann, the director of the movie, has made a prestigious name for himself, despite only producing 11 movies and several smaller TV series and documentaries. Mann most often takes on crime filled scripts, and is praised by many critics and viewers for his ability to work with big acting names, large budgets, and produce a film for a wide audience on topics that generally are dry or unrelated to many. Mann often chooses movies that encompass moral themes like integrity, anonymity  and assimilation. Integrity is especially displayed in Al Pacino's character as Lowell Bergman, who maintains and keeps his word with Wigand and is also seen fighting for "the truth" and "what is right" despite the costs to the CBS company. One thing is for sure, Mann has a very distinct filming style and many other features that are often incorporated into his films.  Though Mann often makes movies based off of historical figures or facts, "The Insider" is the only movie based completley off of a true story. Nonetheless, Mann created a piece of cinematography that is not only beautifully pieced together, but accurate. According to IMBD, several scenes of the movie were actually shot in the actual places where they occurred such as the courtroom where Wigand testified for his disposition. Besides this, Michael Moore, the Attorney General of Mississippi, plays himself for the scenes involving Wigand's lawsuit. Small details such as the placement of the news articles in the papers are also present.