1. The Insider (Lowell & Jeffrey)
Many movies only approach what this one does. The Insider is first-rate conspiracy drama, first-rate Al Pacino, first-rate Russell Crowe, and first-rate Michael Mann. It is excellent both as a movie and as a depiction of an unsettlingly real series of events. This is because through and through, The Insider is character work at its very best. From the start, the lead characters, journalist Lowell Bergman and former tobacco employee Dr. Jeffrey Wigand, are in an awkward place with one another. Lowell is trying to report Jeffrey's very daunting situation because he cares and because of his code and duty, and Jeffrey has everything to lose and goes through immense personal challenges every single punishing step of the way. There is a strong, constant, push-and-pull dance between the two characters at a level you don't see very much in movies. The film's high-stakes central conflict constantly threatens at every turn to destroy the incredibly fragile progress Lowell and Jeffrey try to make. At the same time, a very tangible character connection grows steadily stronger. And in many of the scenes between Lowell and Jeffreysome of them climactic scenesthey're not even in the same room together! It's a testament to the work put in at every level of the production that those characters always feel as connected as they do. This movie is depth. Pacino and Crowe, as well as the production, get this so very well, successfully finding that exceptionally rare, tricky balance between real life, relevant messages, and entertainment. All in all, many movies out there are remembered for their top-notch duos, but if Hollywood has taught us anything, we should remember to applaud (or at least plug) the underdogs too. We can learn just as much from every movie on this list. They all go way beyond the neat feeling of knowing that they're based on real life. What about you? What are some of your favorite real-life duos you think need more attention and why?