Heat

I just watched The Insider, and was very suprised to see that it was a very good movie.

I had thought "a movie about a guy who says that smoking is bad for you, how good can that movie be?", but tonight there just wasn't anything else on the shelf that I hadn't watched that I had any interest in, so I picked it up.

Very good film, and shame on CBS for how they acted.

jfoobar

Wonderful film, easily one of the best of 1999.

Not everything depicted in the film is entirely factual, however.

das Monkey

Facts are for losers.

Great film. Although I enjoyed American Beauty (which got all the press and awards), The Insider was my favorite from the year.

das

lostatmidnight

great film, great 'photography....remember seeing this in the theater with two friends, one who squirmed the entire way through since he had no attention span...good to see people appreciate this film.

Geofferson

I too thought this was a wonderful film. Wonderful cinematography and taut direction -- not to mention my favorite Russell Crowe performance to date.

B.A.

I admit it was a very pleasant surprise the first time I saw it, too. Russell Crowe was robbed of that stupid golden statue, oh well. Christopher Plummer was good as Mike Wallace as well.

Michael Mann's the sh1t, too bad Ali was boring as hell.

jarofclay73

I thought Pacino did an excellent job although Crowe got the Oscar nomination.

LBPound

Excellent film! Great character-driven drama, and very well directed by Mann. I defintely prefer it to Heat, it's somewhat similar in style, but I think it's a got a lot more substance.

conscience

If I remember reading the credits correctly, the real dude Crowe played lives near me.

filmerp

I got to meet Jeffrey Wigand when he was speaking at a local high school about the dangers of smoking. It is absolutely spooky how accurately Russell Crow got down his mannerisms. Physically resembling the character is one thing- but the way he talks; the voice, the half smile, fidgets... If the Academy had been able to see the real Wigand, they would have forked over two statues to Crow.

movieking

I was dissapointed with The Insider. I don't know if I was expecting too much from it, but I didn't think that it was a great film. Mann's Ali however, was horrible. I honestly don't know how it got the good reviews that it did.

Toad

What were you expecting?

Heat

From Ali? A story of his life, not just the period in his life between '64 and '74.

Mittman

I agree. Ali felt like it was just one chapter of Ali's life. I was let down.

Mazinger

The Insider - great movie...too bad my dvd just died for no apparent reason.

Toad

No, The Insider. You said you don't know if you expected too much, and I'm curious what you were expecting insofar as whether you were familiar with the historical context and it wasn't portrayed properly, the acting/direction, etc.

Heat

Here's what I expected from The Insider: I was expecting a suspense movie where the catch was that he reveals that... smoking is bad for you.

Not exactly an earth shattering revelation, which is why I had put off seeing the movie. I hadn't realized that it was based off of a true story, and the fact that it is a true story, as well as the excellent acting and directing, is what makes it so good.

By the way, what parts of the movie were not true?

GatorDeb

No, movieking said that. Heat started the thread about enjoying The Insider

The Bus

[ot] How were you let down? The movie wasn't called Michael Mann's Ali: His Entire Life On Film - Give Me $8.50, I Promise You I Will Show You From Birth to Death and Beyond! -- it was a character study during a very pivotal time in Ali's life. It's not like he did Ali from when he was 2 to when he was 12. Or 55 to 65. That would've made less sense. The reviews (if you read them) even said it only covered such a short period. Movies like Pollock also don't start from birth, and I think that's fine, as long as the filmmaker handles it well. And Ali, I think, was not handled that well.

Toad

Damn my eyes!!!!

Thanks, you're right!

Dr. DVD

Are you referring to the player or the DVD itself? If the DVD mine did the exact same thing about a year or so ago and I had to sell it. Plan on buying it used somewhere but fear it might screw up again.


Great movie BTW.

jetflair

This movie just joined the ranks of my favorites. I watched it not long after it first came out and wasn't impressed. After seeing all the praise for it on another thread, I gave it another try. I now own the DVD. Supurb performances and filmmaking.

the aftermath

The Insider is one of my favorite movies EVER. Who cares if it was completely factual or not. The acting job by Crowe was superb.

Mazinger

Yes, the dvd. It was around chapter 20 where it froze up.

You sold a bad DVD?