The Insider

Michael Mann always captures a certain grit in his movies. Most of them are crime movies set in Los Angeles, but in some cases they're set in various parts of the United States.

There are numerous movies about conspiracies and cover-ups. The Insider is one of those few movies that succeeds. We all know that smoking's a bad habit, but who would've guessed that cigarette companies were purposely making their products more addictive?

Of the many great performances contained within the movie, the best is from Russell Crowe as the mentally trapped Jeffrey Wigand. He knows his expose on his former employers is costly, but even that didn't prepare him for the many threats towards him and his family. Personally, I think Crowe's Oscar win for Gladiator was consolation for losing to Kevin Spacey the previous year.

I'm a sucker for journalism movies and The Insider is good proof as to why. It's hard-hitting and gets the facts of the case, just like a good story. And that's what The Insider is: a good story.

My Rating: *****