The Insider (1999)

Big Tobacco comes under the spotlight in this virtuoso ethical drama based on a true whistle-blower case. Russell Crowe, Al Pacino and Christopher Plummer deliver standout performances in this dazzling exposé of money, morals and the media, though female characters are underused.

The critic calls it a brilliant true-story conspiracy thriller and one of Mann's best films, with assured direction, perfect pacing and powerhouse performances from Pacino and Crowe. Crowe is singled out for giving the complex story a deeply human centre.

The critic praises Michael Mann's intense, hallucinatory conspiracy thriller as a riveting and chilling study of corporate power bullying an individual whistleblower. He singles out the close-up cinematography, textures of everyday objects, and Russell Crowe's complex, believable performance as the tobacco scientist.

Denby finds it the most vivid public-affairs melodrama since All the President's Men, praising Mann's direction, Crowe's complex portrayal of Wigand, and the film's anger at corporate and media betrayals.

McCarthy respects the bold tackling of corporate power but criticizes the overlength and self-importance, noting it feels inflated despite Crowe's outstanding performance and strong subject matter.

Ebert praises the film as a powerful docudrama exposing big tobacco and journalistic ethics, with strong performances from Pacino and Crowe that give it emotional impact beyond factual quibbles.

Mann has created a tense psychological suspenser as complex and uncompromising as it is engaging and enthralling, a masterpiece that brilliantly dissects recent US politics and the media. The edgy screenplay sticks surprisingly close to the facts, with strong performances from Pacino and Crowe singled out for praise.

Maslin calls it Mann's most fully realized work, highlighting its visual and moral vertigo in depicting Wigand's transformation and the tensions of the whistleblower story.

This real-life tale of battling corporate corruption and compromise works as a suspenseful film noir without shortchanging on details or oversimplifying heroism. Mann fashions taut suspense from unpromising material through careful pacing, music and compositions that balance intimate insights with epic historical import.