THE INSIDER
(1999, Blu-ray released February 19, 2013 – MSRP $20.00)
THE FILM:
- “Experience the celebrated film The Insider on Blu-ray for the first time with an all-new digital restoration. Nominated for 7 Academy Awards, including best picture, best director, and best actor, this gripping true-life drama features an astonishing cast, including Oscar-winners Al Pacino (best actor, 1992, Scent Of A Woman), Russell Crowe (best actor, 2000, Gladiator) and Christopher Plummer (best supporting actor, 2010, Beginners). Witness the incredible chain of events that pitted an ordinary man against the tobacco industry and dragged two people into the fight of their lives. When former tobacco executive Dr. Jeffrey Wigand agrees to blow the whistle on the alleged unethical practices within the industry, and forms an alliance with veteran 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman, he starts an all-out war that could cost both men their reputations.and much, much more. Relive every unbelievable twist and turn like never before on Blu-ray.“
WHO SHOULD BUY:
Fourteen years on, it’s almost surprising to look back at Michael Mann‘s brilliant The Insider and confidently proclaim it the director’s best work. It’s perhaps more shocking to note that it might still be the finest performance Russel Crowe has ever given. Though he was given an Oscar a year later for his role in Gladiator, I maintain that the Academy was only making up for their error in passing this performance by a year earlier.
The story of The Insider is just as compelling and potent today as it was years ago, when the scandal hit 60 Minutes, and years after that, when the tale was adapted into the film. Outside of the narrative, it remains a brilliant piece of filmmaking, sporting some of the finest and coolest cinematography ever seen in a Mann film (and that’s saying something, when you’re talking about the guy who brought the world Manhunter and Miami Vice) shot by Dante Spinotti (The Last of the Mohicans, Heat) and an incredible, moving score by Lisa Gerard (Gladiator, Whale Rider) and Pieter Bourke (Ali.) I can’t find fault in The Insider. It’s pretty close to a perfect film, in my opinion.
THE BLU-RAY DISC:
And Disney’s Blu-ray edition of the film is also fairly close to perfection, from a technical standpoint. It looks incredible, exhibiting a rich, colourful, film-like image. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is also stellar, doing justice to Gerard and Bourke’s soundtrack while offering clean and clear dialogue throughout. There are, sadly, few special features to speak of on the disc. The most notable is a 7-minute long production featurette that only provides a brief glimpse inside the filmmaking process. The theatrical trailer is also included.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Featurette
- Theatrical Trailer
