The Best of Michael Mann — Vol 2.
Nominated for seven Oscars at the turn of the century, the final re-release of my favourite Michael Mann films is in fact my second favourite all time, and only behind the majestic and bewitching beauty that is Heat.
Al Pacino returns here but rather than sharing top billing with Robert De Niro he does so with a still young Russell Crowe and immediately before the New Zealander would roll off Gladiator, Proof of Life, A Beautiful Mind, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and Cinderella Man, all within the first five years of a new century in which his director would venture into the mythos of Muhammad Ali, cajole an incredible against type performance from Tom Cruise, shower cinematic love on Johnny Depp and, well, ruin things a little with Miami Vice and Blackhat!
I adore this film and have been an insufferable bore by talking over it whilst in company on more times than I care to admit to in a public space.
What!
I just adore this film.
Michael Mann and 9 films for your delectation!
The Keep, Manhunter, The Last of the Mohicans, Heat, The Insider, Ali, Collateral, Miami Vice and Public Enemies.medium.com
“This guy. He’s the ultimate insider”.
This, my second all time favourite Michael Mann film is an absolute joy, a film I never tire of re-watching and a film with Al Pacino on top notch form, and where Russell Crowe act’s his damn arse off! But more of that later.
Based on the Vanity Fair article The Man who knew too much by Marie Brenner and exquisitely shot by returning Director of Photography Dante Spinotti, this is a Michael Mann film and a director at his sublime best. With a tight screenplay also written by Mann and Eric Roth, it is Mann to the fore as a Director supreme, with literally every scene crafted to the nth degree. Unrushed at nearly three hours long, it’s a stylish, engaging, insightful and shocking piece of cinema, brilliantly acted by a stellar cast of Christopher Plummer, Philip Baker Hall, Stephen Tobolowsky and Michael Gambon to name but a few, and who bring real life characters to the big screen expertly, together with two leading men in thunderous, captivating form. Together with a superb original musical score from Pieter Bourke and Lisa Gerrard, you have a bona fide (if criminally overlooked) Michael Mann masterpiece.
From a frantically edited beginning through heavily guarded Hezbollah dominated streets we’re introduced to “Lowell Bergman” (Al Pacino) for the first time, blindfolded and awaiting his audience with a local Sheik. Cutting quickly to a vastly different scene whereby we meet “Jeffrey Wigand” (Russell Crowe) for the first time and we follow his exit from work and from a boisterous party he clearly wasn’t invited to. Interwoven throughout are family backgrounds to both, death threats and intense intimidation towards Jeffrey and the seemingly more serene, if pressured, working environment for Lowell.
Bergman is a Producer for CBS News and their flagship 60 Minutes investigative program, whereas Wigand is/was Head of Research and Development at Brown & Williamson, a tobacco company. Bergman’s and Wigand’s lives collide when, seeking an informed opinion on fire rates/fire safety for his 60 Minutes segment, Bergman approaches Wigand to become a consultant on the segment. As below there are numerous references to the news of the day woven into the narrative such as two newspaper references to the recently acquitted OJ Simpson, all of which is brilliantly and vividly brought to life by Spinotti’s eye for detail and brilliantly captured cinematography.
Within the interwoven 60 Minutes and CBS back story we are introduced to some stunning supporting roles, from Philip Baker Hall as “Don Hewitt”, Michael Gambon as “Thomas Sandefur” and particularly Christopher Plummer’s brilliant portrayal of “Mike Wallace”, Bergman’s CBS Partner. There are also wonderful supporting performances Diane Venora as “Liane Wigand”, Jeffrey’s put upon and struggling to cope wife, Stephen Tobolowsky as “Eric Kluster” and Hallie Kate Eisenberg as “Barbara Wigand”.
Rather than a continued back story I’ve chosen to concentrate on the real heart of the film and the shared scenes between two actors at the very top of their games. With no other real actor/character involvement I wanted to give a flavour for this tense classic from their joint scenes, their incredible performances, and from Mann’s brilliant direction.
Their tense first meeting is in an anonymous hotel room with awkward pleasantries over it becomes a two camera shoot, over each other’s shoulder looking at the other. Their first meeting quickly establishes their vastly different characters with Pacino’s Bergman tenacity and verve for a story to the fore, whereas Crowe’s Wigand is stiff, still, meticulous and efficient.
Following a heated stand off in the rain outside of the car, Bergman agrees to join Wigand and they share two similar car scenes (one raining, one not). Two cameras used in both scenes whereby Wigand tries to gain dominance in both of their conversations before Bergman cleverly lightens the first discussion with a passing joke and ends the second with a crushing clarity on Wigand’s insider position, it’s positives and it’s consequences for his life and family. Shortly thereafter follows another key dual scene which again commences light hearted and jovial and simply two men enjoying a Japanese meal together. Bergman however grows visibly tired of the games extremely quickly:
“You go public, and 30 million people hear what you gotta say, nothing, I mean nothing…….I mean nothing, will ever be the same again”
Bergman and Wigand share two very brief scenes (day and night) standing outside a Court House. These are the quietest, most reflective of the film, with the night time cinematography from Spinotti is a real joy.
Their final “joint” screen time is their last telephone conversation. Wigand, unravelling and frantic with Bergman pacing up and down a beautifully lit beach. There have been several small similar telephone conversations, each of which is key to the narrative and displays the deterioration of both men, but this scene in particular showcases two of our greatest acting talents.
A film about an insider within the big tobacco industry whose life is torn apart for daring to tell the truth, but it’s so much more than that. I love this film to ridiculously high levels despite it’s elongated telephone calls, exposition and court room scenes which prolong the film a little longer than necessary. Nominated for seven Oscars in 2000 but no successes in either of the categories Best Film, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing or Best Sound. All cruelly overlooked for a marvellous film which shines a light on corruption within our vaunted and supposedly neutral media and their collusion with “big” industry. Three nominations for Michael Mann and one for Dante Spinotti were just reward for this astonishing film, as was the nomination for Russell Crowe and his career best and career defining performance.
The Insider is a genuine modern day masterpiece.
Thanks for reading. Just for larks as always, and always a human reaction rather than spoilers galore. My three most recently published film articles are linked below or there’s well over 200 blog articles (with 400+ individual film reviews) within my archives from which to choose:
“Synecdoche, New York” (2008)
In appreciation of Philip Seymour Hoffman.medium.com
“The Ides of March” (2011)
Pointed political drama that’s still a missed opportunity.medium.com
“Shame” (2011)
Heart breaking masterclass from Michael Fassbender.medium.com