Michael Mann delivers us deep into the biggest health reform issue in US History.

The Insider chronicles the stresses, manipulations and betrayals involved in bringing a highly damaging story to network television. The story is about scientist Jeffrey Wigand, played by Russell Crowe, who is deep within one of the largest tobacco companies in the world and decides to tell the truth about what cigarettes do to you and me. As Wigand's story unfolds as he befriends a producer Lowell Bergman of the CBS primetime show "60 Minutes", played by Al Pacino, who tells him that he can get his story to the air and blow open the "conspiracy" beneath. As these two friends walk the fine-line they become overwhelmed and embroiled in a world they can't control.

The Insider's director Michael Mann first burst onto the scene in the mid to late 80's with the primetime cop show "Miami Vice". As "Miami Vice" exploded into the Top 10 most watched shows, Mann dropped back to write and produce the show. As the show came to a close Mann had transformed primetime cop shows and the life of Don Johnson. It was about then when he electrified audiences with the first movie explosion of "Hannibal Lecter" in 1986 with "Manhunter". It was through this experience that I think Mann honed his directing skills and began to draw audiences in. He knew how to capture the emotion and delivery of important dialogue. After the unknown TV movie "LA Crackdown" in 1989, Mann once more exploded onto the big screen with 1992's "Last of the Mohicans" which became a huge hit and brought him into the forefront of American directors. It took three years to bring us his next film.

Most Hollywood executives and even some of Mann's peers thought he wasn't up to the task of directing the high-fire Pacino-DeNiro square off dubbed "Heat". But when the movie premiered critics cheered and it shocked the box office. This success secured the arrival of Mann and his epic story telling. Another three years later with the debut of the "Insider" he has upped the ante again and delivered a movie that topples even "Heat". The angles and impressive acting talents are all in place as they were in "Heat" but it's the ingenious script and dialogue camera captures that rocket us this time. There aren't any explosions but explosive portrayals. Mann knows how to capture an actor and get the best out of him or her. The two plagued friends Pacino and Crowe are amazing but I think its Crowe who needs an Oscar nod. He put on 40 pounds and transformed himself into this paranoid man trying to deal with unreal circumstances. Another worthy Oscar look would be Christopher Plummer who I have never seen deliver this caliber of a performance as the anchor Mike Wallace of the 60 Minutes. He is amazing and it's his believability that draws the audience in believing we are actually behind the scenes of the news show. Mann has out done himself and this film amazed me. The stress and dialogue can be felt as these people's world is uncovered a layer at a time. For some the dialogue, the running time of over 2.5 hours or even the subject matter may sound boring but this film was far from a bore.

(5 of 5) So Says the Soothsayer.