Episode 6

full
Published on:

12th Mar 2025

The Insider

This week on Forgotten Cinema, The Mikes are diving into Michael Mann’s The Insider (1999), starring Russell Crowe and Al Pacino in a tense, real-life whistleblower drama about Big Tobacco, journalism, and corporate corruption.

But while Mike Field considers it a masterpiece of slow-burn storytelling, Mike Butler has broken Field's heart by thinking it’s too long! So, does The Insider earn its nearly 160-minute runtime, or could it have used some editing? The Mikes break down the performances, Mann’s signature style, and whether it still holds up today.

So, grab your popcorn and soda, please notice the exits to the left and right of you and settle down for Forgotten Cinema.

What do you think? Masterpiece or overlong? What's your favorite Mann film? Let us know in the comments!

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0:00 - Introduction

2:06 - Film Facts

10:18 - Film Discussion

36:38 - Critic Reviews

44:45 - Who Would You Recommend This To?

49:36 - Why Is This Forgotten?

53:29 - Plugs

#TheInsider #MichaelMann #RussellCrowe #AlPacino #ForgottenCinema #ThrillerMovies #MoviePodcast #FilmDiscussion

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About the Podcast

Forgotten Cinema
A podcast about forgotten films that deserve a second chance
Welcome to Forgotten Cinema! Each episode, Mike Field and Mike Butler highlight a film that for a variety of reasons was forgotten by audiences. Whether it be because a more popular movie was released at the same time or the movie simply didn’t catch on with an audience in the its initial run. We’ll discuss what we love about the movie or perhaps don’t love about it and decide whether the movie is worth a revisit.