An old teacher of mine once said that if you were to dramatize a famous person's life (i.e. make a "biopic"), it would be most effective to stage your story on one day – preferably a critical day of that person's life – rather than try to recount the entire cradle-to-grave scope of their existence. That's a bit extreme, but… read more!

Already revered for the flashy style he developed in his TV series Miami Vice and Crime Story, Michael Mann's significance as a director rose prominently after his landmark 1995 thriller Heat, and was permanently established by 1999's The Insider. With that film, Mann established what's become his signature look: severely off-balance compositions, gritty natural lighting, and realistic, often handheld camerawork.… read more!

Surprisingly tense morality tale, based on recent events, about tobacco industry insider Jeffrey Wigand (a terrific Russell Crowe), who blew the whistle on his employer Brown & Williamson – and by extension the entire tobacco industry – by exposing their unethical practices of increasing nicotine levels in their tobacco blends. Goaded by 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman (a fine Al… read more!