The Insider (1999) - Mann rips apart big tobacco and media giant in fiery corporate thriller

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The faces of its two A-list stars in black and white is the whole poster here for Michael Mann's The Insider

A top scientist with one of America's largest tobacco companies is willing to go to great lengths to reveal his knowledge of the addictive-creating properties in the cigarettes.

 

The Insider is written by Eric Roth (A Star Is Born (2018)) and great Illinoisan filmmaker, co-writer/co-producer/director Michael Mann (Thief (1981)). It is based on the 1996 Vanity Fair article The Man Who Knew Too Much by Marie Brenner (American Tragedy: The Ballad of Richard Jewell (1997)).

It's another Mann picture about two contradictory men, whose paths cross. In this case we are treated to two of the world's greatest actors, Russell Crowe (The Nice Guys (2016)) and Al Pacino (The Irishman (2019)), giving it their all in a gripping, intelligently told and thrilling story of commercial deceit.

The last 45 minutes of the film seem a bit long, - Mann might have skated through the internal CBS debacle a bit speedier. Christopher Plummer (Starcrash (1978)) portrays 60 Minutes anchorman Mike Wallace in this part of the film, and it's hard to imagine that the real-life Wallace was overly pleased with the portrait.

 

Related posts:

Michael Mann: Public Enemies (2009) - Mann heads to the 1930s 

Top 10: Best drama-thrillers reviewed by Film Excess to date 

2004 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

2004 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Collateral (2004) - Great, urban, digital age thriller from Mann in his right element

Top 10: Best heist movies 

1995 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Heat (1995) - Mann's superb masculine thriller showstopper 

Manhunter (1986) - Perhaps the best criminal profiling picture ever 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 68-90 mil. $ (different reports)

Box office: 60.2 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 0.66-0.88 times its cost)

[The Insider premiered 28 October (Los Angeles) and runs 158 minutes. Shooting took place from May - October 1998 in Israel, California, including in San Francisco and Los Angeles, Mississippi, Alabama, New York, Indiana, Bahamas and Kentucky. The film's allotted budget was 68 mil. $, but it is listed some places as 90 mil. $, indicating that perhaps Mann went way over-budget. The film opened #4, behind fellow new release The Bone Collector, holdover hit House on Haunted Hill and new release The Bachelor, to a 6.7 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd weekend and grossed 29 mil. $ (48.2 % of the total gross). The film was nominated for 7 Oscars, winning none. It lost Best Actor (Crowe) to Kevin Spacey in American Beauty, Cinematography (Dante Spinotti (Traffik (2018)) to Conrad L. Hall for American Beauty, Director to Sam Mendes for American Beauty, Editing to The Matrix, Picture to American Beauty, Sound to The Matrix and Adapted Screenplay to John Irving for The Cider House Rules. It was also nominated for a BAFTA and 5 Golden Globes and won 3 National Board of Review awards, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, translating to a notch higher than this one. Mann returned with Ali (2001). Crowe returned in Gladiator (2000); Pacino in Any Given Sunday (1999). The Insider is certified fresh at 96 % with an 8.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Insider?

Pearl Harbor (2001) - Bay's stuffed war melodrama baloney

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A sensual romance between two very photogenic young specimens of the human race and a dramatic war-plane situation attracts attention on this poster for Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor

Two brothers in the US Air Force: SPOILER One crashes, - and everyone expects him dead, - so his younger brother takes over his lady. But big brother returns alive, - Oahu's Pearl Harbor air base gets bombed by the Japanese, - and the younger brother dies in the attack!

 

Pearl Harbor is written by Randall Wallace (Braveheart (1995)) and directed by Michael Bay (Bad Boys (1995)).

Handsome flight sequences stand out in Bay's otherwise horrid and history-distorting film that's both grotesquely overlong and filled with tawdry romance. 

 

Related posts:

 

Michael Bay: 13 Hours/13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016) - Bay portrays controversial recent history in generally thrilling actioner 

Armageddon (1998) or, Macho Men Save Earth From Disaster!  

Top 10: Best cop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

Bad Boys (1995) - Bay's successful buddy cop debut is still fun

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 140 mil. $

Box office: 449.2 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 3.20 times its cost)

[Pearl Harbor premiered 21 May (Pearl Harbor, Hawaii) and runs 184 minutes. Wallace was paid 2 mil. $ for his script. Bay and producer Jerry Bruckheimer requested a 208 mil. $ budget from Disney, who turned that down and also demanded the film have a PG-13 rating. Ben Affleck (Reindeer Games (2000)) made approximately 10 mil. $ from his performance, coming from a 250k $ salary and a 7 % back-end participation deal. Kate Beckinsale (Underworld: Blood Wars (2016)) was paid a flat 50k $ fee. Shooting took place from April - September 2000 in Mexico, Indiana, Texas, including in Houston, California, including in Los Angeles, in Nevada, Hawaii, including at the actual Pearl Harbor, and in England. Disney lavished a 5 mil. $ premiere for almost 2,000 patrons at Pearl Harbor. The film opened #1 to a 59 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another weekend at #1 and then 2 more in the top 5 (#3-#5), grossing 198.5 mil. $ (44.2 % of the total gross). It was the 6th highest-grossing film of the year. It reportedly later made more than 130 mil. $ on domestic home video sales in its first week of release alone. Bay's gross earnings pay reportedly eventually added up to 25 mil. $. The film has been lambasted for its countless historical inaccuracies. It was nominated for 4 Oscars, winning one, for Best Sound Editing. It lost Best Sound to Black Hawk Down, Visual Effects to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Song (There You'll Be by Diane Warren) to If I Didn't Have You by Randy Newman from Monsters, Inc.. It was also nominated for 2 Golden Globes and a Grammy, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 1.5/4 star review, translating to a notch under this one. Bay returned with Faith Hill: There You'll Be (2001, music video) and theatrically with Bad Boys II (2003). Affleck returned in Daddy and Them (2001). Pearl Harbor is rotten at 24 % with a 4.50/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Pearl Harbor? 

The Prestige (2006) - Nolan's overrated magician picture

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Two familiar male star leads and a hazy female star wedged between them make up this dark, enigmatic poster for Christopher Nolan's The Prestige

Robert Angier and Alfred Borden are magicians in Victorian era London, feuding over a prestigious teleportation trick.

 

The Prestige is written by Jonathan Nolan (Interstellar (2014)) and his brother, English master filmmaker Christopher Nolan (Following (1998)), whose 5th feature it is. It is an adaptation of the same-titled 1995 novel by Christopher Priest (Short Circuit (1986)).

It is an overrated film in which we have to take two men who make tall hats disappear gravely serious. Basic suspense and a teasing final image don't disguise that The Prestige suffers from miscasts in its female roles and general awkwardness.

 

Related posts:

Christopher Nolan: 2020 in films - according to Film Excess

Tenet (2020) - Nolan blows smoke up your ass 

Top 10: Best UK movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

2017 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
2017 in films - according to Film Excess 
Dunkirk (2017) - Nolan champions cinema with masterful war movie  

Top 10: Best future-set movies
Interstellar (2014) - Nolan heads to space in opulent, exciting epic
2014 in films - according to Film Excess
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) or, Batman and the Storm, Darkness, Anarchy, Evil, Depression
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  
Inception (2010) - Nolan's best is a grand piece of action sci-fi, perfectly awesome nonsense 

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]  
2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2008 in films - according to Film Excess
The Dark Knight (2008) - Nolan's best Batman  
Batman Begins (2005) or, Modern, Dark, Smooth Batman 
Memento (2000) - Nolan's overrated amnesia mindfuck   
Following (1998) - Nolan's ineffectual debut

 

 

Watch a fan-made trailer for the film here 

 

Cost: 40 mil. $

Box office: 109.6 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 2.74 times its cost)

[The Prestige premiered 17 October (Rome Film Fest) and runs 130 minutes. Shooting took place in June 2005 and from January - April 2006 in Colorado and California, including in Los Angeles. The film opened #1 to a 14.8 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent 1 more weekend in the top 5 (#3), grossing 53 mil. $ (48.4 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 6.8 mil. $ (6.2 %) and Spain with 5.1 mil. $ (4.7 %). The film was nominated for 2 Oscars. It lost Best Cinematography (Wally Pfister (Batman Begins (2005)) to Guillermo Navarro for Pan's Labyrinth and Art Direction also to Pan's Labyrinth. Roger Ebert gave it a 3/4 star review, translating to a notch over this one. IMDb's users have rated the film in at #42 on the site's Top 250 list, sitting between Whiplash (2014) and The Usual Suspects (1995). Nolan returned with The Dark Knight (2008). Hugh Jackman (Real Steel (2011)) returned with 2 voice performances, a TV-series performance and a short prior to his theatrical return in Deception (2008); Christian Bale (American Hustle (2013)) in 3:10 to Yuma (2007). The Prestige is certified fresh at 76 % with a 7.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of The Prestige? 

Open Range (2003) - Costner impresses with fabulous classic western

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+ Comeback of the Year: Kevin Costner + Best Western of the Year

 

A shoot-out is about to commence on this thrilling poster for Kevin Costner's Open Range

 

Four sympathetic open range Montana cattlemen become 2½, when they head in to buy supplies in a small, inhospitable town. The two men that are left unharmed now must claim their right to freedom against the town's corrupt reign.

 

Open Range is written by Craig Storper (The Truth About Alex (1986, TV movie)), adapting The Open Range Men (1990) by Lauran Paine (Skye (1986)), and directed by Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves (1990)), who also co-produced and co-stars in the film.

The first half is the best; after this comes a long prelude to the grand, final showdown, - which is very classical and really well-made, SPOILER followed by an overlong and overly sentimental round-off.

But Open Range is still a really good western. Annette Bening (The Siege (1998)) is good, and Costner and Robert Duvall (The Godfather (1972)) are not to be messed with here, class acts all three. The American open range is the film's fourth lead. Open Range is impressive and full of warmth.

 

Related posts:

Kevin Costner: Molly's Game (2017) - Chastain is luminous in Sorkin's great true-crime debut (co-star)

Man of Steel (2013) or, Superman v Zod: Sunset of Destruction (co-star)

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

Thirteen Days (2000) - Electrifying Cuban Missile Crisis thriller (actor/producer)  

Dances with Wolves (1990) - Costner's triumphant, simpatico western 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 22 mil. $

Box office: 68.2 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 3.1 times its cost)

[Open Range premiered 11 August (USA) and runs 139 minutes. Shooting took place from June - September 2002 in Alberta, Canada. More than a million $ were spent to build the town in the film, as well as 40k $ to lay a road to it. 225 head of cattle were used in the film, handled by professional cowboys. The film opened #3, behind fellow new release Freddy vs. Jason and holdover hit S.W.A.T., to a 14 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 2 weekends in the top 5 (#3-#4), grossing 58.3 mil. $ (85.5 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were France with 2.7 mil. $ (4 %) and the UK with 1.9 mil. $ (2.8 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, translating to a notch over this one. Costner didn't direct again for nearly 20 years but is now shooting his next film, Civil War western Horizon. As an actor he returned in The Upside of Anger (2005); Duvall in Secondhand Lions (2003); and Bening in The Sopranos (2004, TV-series) and theatrically in Being Julia (2004). Open Range is certified fresh at 79 % with a 6.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Open Range? 

Con Air (1997) - Loud, dumb actioner coming in hot

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Fiery action and tough-posing male stars attract attention on this poster for Simon West's Con Air

A sympathetic prisoner (Nicolas Cage (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022))) is going on a prisoner air transport, which almost immediately goes completely wrong. Our hero just wants to get home to his family, but the maniacs around him are making that very hard!

 

Con Air is written by Scott Rosenberg (Air Time (1992, TV movie)) and directed by debuting Simon West (The Expendables 2 (2012)).

One may admire how in a Jerry Bruckheimer production such as this, an entire backstory is explained in a matter of minutes even before the intro credits end, so that the film can then proceed to play out without pause: From then on it is just hung up on a lot of idiotic scenes, stereotypes and general tastelessness. (Among much else, notorious real-life serial killers are in Con Air mere content for tacky one-liners.)

The entire star cast work as so many beams of hardwood squeezed into a wood-chipper here in an insanely dumb movie, which makes manipulative stabs into thin air. 

 

Related posts:
 
Simon West: The Expendables 2 (2012) - An over-packed action hot-air balloon
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2011 in films - according to Film Excess    

The Mechanic (2011) - West's dull, flawed action remake 

 

 

Watch a 3-minute clip from the film here

Cost: 75 mil. $

Box office: 224 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 2.98 times its cost)

[Con Air premiered 2 June (Las Vegas) and runs 115 minutes. Shooting took place from July - September 1996 in Utah, Indiana, Las Vegas, Nevada and in Los Angeles, California. The film opened #1 to a 24.1 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 4 weekends in the top 5 (#2-#3-#5-8X-#4), grossing 101.1 mil. $ (45.1 % of the total gross). It was nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Sound, lost to Titanic, and Best Song (Diane Warren's How Do I Live), lost to My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion, James Horner and Will Jennings from Titanic. It was also nominated for a Grammy. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3/4 star review, translating to 3 notches over this one. West returned with The General's Daughter (1999). Nicolas Cage (Time to Kill (1989)) returned in Face/Off (1997); John Cusack (2012 (2009)) in Chicago Cab (1997); and John Malkovich (RED 2 (2013)) in Cannes Man (1997). Con Air is rotten at 55 % with a 5.60/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Con Air? 

Hidalgo (2004) - More respectable than rousing

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Stars, swordplay and horseback riding allures from this sand-colored poster for Joe Johnston's Hidalgo

The true story of a mixed-race American master horseman's participation in a race through the Arabian desert.

 

Hidalgo is written by John Fusco (Crossroads (1986)) and directed by Joe Johnston (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)).

It is a handsomely produced major picture with skillful production design and good-looking pictures (cinematography by Shelly Johnson (Captain America: The First Avenger (2011))). But alas, no-one stands particularly out from the cast, and neither romance, the horses nor the race are extremely beguiling.

 

Related posts:

  

Joe Johnston: 2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

The Wolfman (2010) - Johnston's luxurious, effects-driven remake 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 100 mil. $

Box office: 108 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 1.08 times its cost)

[Hidalgo premiered 17 February (Texas Film Festival) and runs 136 minutes. Viggo Mortensen (Daylight (1996)) was paid 2 mil. $ for his performance. Shooting took place from August 2002 - ? in Morocco, Montana, South Dakota, Oklahoma and in California. Mortensen bought one of the horses in the film after shooting, and Fusco bought the main stunt horse. The film opened #3, behind holdover hit The Passion of the Christ and fellow new release Starsky & Hutch, to a 18.8 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent one more weekend in the top 5 (#4) and grossed 67.3 mil. $ (62.3 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Spain with 7.5 mil. $ (6.9 %) and Germany with 4.2 mil. $ (3.9 %). Roger Ebert gave it a 3/4 star review, translating to a notch over this one. The film's claim to a true story is debated. Johnston returned with The Wolfman (2010). Mortensen returned in A History of Violence (2005). Hidalgo is rotten at 46 % with a 5.60/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Hidalgo? 

High Fidelity (2000) or, Record Store Romance

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Different hairstyles on an vinyl record cover adorn this poster for Stephen Frears' High Fidelity

Record store owner Robert is left by his blond girlfriend Laura, and in the process of reassessing his own break-up story realizes that he has to win her back.

 

High Fidelity is written by D.V. DeVincentis, Steve Pink (Grosse Point Blank (1997), both), Scott Rosenberg (Happy Town (2010, TV-series)) and co-writer/star John Cusack (War, Inc. (2008)), adapting the same-titled 1995 novel by Nick Hornby (Slam (2007)), and directed by English master filmmaker Stephen Frears (Gumshoe (1971)), whose 12th feature it is.

The story is related mainly through Cusack's Robert's narration directly to the camera, and Cusack and Frears get this to work at times. But the technique is overused and also get annoying at other times. 

A side note: If you are not convinced that the 1990s was the ugliest decade fashion-wise in modern history, I'll recommend you to look at the dubious robes in High Fidelity. 

The film seems to come to its conclusion, - but then it actually has a good 10 minutes more of babble in store for us. What makes High Fidelity worthwhile nonetheless are the good performances from Cusack and Iben Hjejle (Klovn (2005-09)) as Laura, along with Jack Black (Jesus' Son (1999)), who is allowed to give a lovely musical number in the end, and Joan Cusack (Freaks of Nature (2015)). The latter two are both funny here.

 

Related posts:

Stephen Frears:   Top 10: Best dramedies reviewed by Film Excess to date

Top 10: The best biopic movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2016 in films - according to Film Excess

Florence Foster Jenkins (2016) - Streep, Frears and Co. drop us a delightful present 

Top 10: Best UK movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V] 

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV] 

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 

Philomena (2013) - Dench astounds in Frears' powerful true-story drama

Mrs Henderson Presents (2005) or, Wartime Swinging London 

Dirty Pretty Things (2002) - Good performances anchor Frears' flawed, overrated illegal immigrant drama

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 30 mil. $

Box office: 47.1 mil. $

= Big flop (returned 1.57 times its cost)

[High Fidelity premiered 17 March (South by Southwest Film Festival) and runs 113 minutes. Black was paid 250k $ for his performance. Shooting took place from April - July 1999 in California, New York and in Chicago, Illinois. The film opened #5, behind holdover hit Erin Brockovich, fellow new releases The Road to El Dorado and The Skulls and holdover hit Romeo Must Die, to a 6.4 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd weekend and grossed 27.2 mil. $ (57.7 % of the total gross). The film was nominated for a BAFTA, won an AFI award, and was nominated for a Golden Globe and a Grammy, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 4/4 star review, translating to 3 notches over this one. A same-titled TV-series version was made with Zoe Kravitz in the gender-swapped lead and canceled after 1 season in 2020. Frears returned with Fail-Safe (2000, TV movie) and theatrically with Liam (2000). Cusack returned in America's Sweethearts (2001). High Fidelity is certified fresh at 91 % with a 7.60/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of High Fidelity?