i will make this simple for you with short attention span represent al pacino best performance of the 90 . russell crowe best work on par with la confidential ( if not good ) and a gripping shot by christopher plummer a 60 minute anchor mike wallace . for those who can handle it and read on representjeffrey wigand ( russell crowe ) have be fire from his job . he have to break the news to his wife ( diane venora and who i believe should go on to be one of the best actress of all time ) that their beautiful home and swank car and health care plan ( their old daughter be athsmatic ) be about to go down the tube . he be give a severance package but that about to fall apart as well . enter lowell bergman ( pacino ) and producer for cbs television news bastion of journalistic integrity and 60 minute . bergman do a report on fire that be start by careless smoker and have be give a report so huge and full of technical jargon he can not make head or tale of it . through a friend he be put in touch with wigand in the hope of find a translator . wigand think lowell be come after him because of what he know about his former employer and a major tobacco company . it be at this moment that director michael mann institute a trick and the like of which hasn not be see since all the president men . the two exchange a cat and mouse conversation via fax . bergman finally call wigand bluff by dare him to meet him the next day . he do . what do wigand know . well and it all over the paper these day about how the tobacco industry lie about manipulate the leaf to make them more habit forming . we have wigand to thank for that . but that isn not where the story end . this be a two fold tale while on one hand you have the self destruction of a man who put everything on the line just so he could do the right thing . on the other and you have a television producer who so believe in the integrity of himself and the network and and his show that he be willing to risk everything he have to fight for the protection of his source . i haven not see this much commitment outside of woodward and berstein staunch protection of deep throat . the trump card of this film though come in the form of christopher plummer play one of the most visible news figure of the past 25 year and mike wallace . wallace teeter on the edge of look like a foul mouth and celebrity hungry and medium hound who only think be about rating . however and before it over and he evoke the integrity of edward r. murrow and a line that give me chill and make me pray for an oscar nomination . director michael mann be know chiefly for his action or thriller . this 155 minute film be slow paced but grip for ever second it be on the screen . a lot of people have complain over the past 7 8 year about pacino staccato performance and suddenly shout at the slight provocation . this film return him to his prime form and a style he hasn not walk in since dog day afternoon and . and justice for all and serpico . anybody get a light .