I was debating including this one. Michael Mann movies are notoriously difficult to work on. His demand for details often leads to a long time before he approves everything and cameras start rolling. He works long days and does a lot of takes. His scripts often flow over with subplots, the kind that make a tired crew grumble, “this will never end up in the movie.” The Insider opens with an entirely different story about CBS producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino) and Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer). Scenes of Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) being paranoid include an unusually long night shoot at a golf driving range.
So this couldn’t be a fun movie to make, but the educational experience might make up for it. Especially the Oscar nominated photography by Dante Spinotti (L.A. Confidnetial) and the Camera Operators, who often were filming with very tight focal lengths. There’s a shot of Wigand walking and as the camera follows, only the edge of his glasses are in sharp focus. It’s always fascinated me and I wonder how much work went into getting that… and how many takes?
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