Hollywood has tackled Watergate for years – the best example “All the President’s Men” – but normally from the side of Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward.

That’s why I approached “Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House” with high hopes. Here is a chance to see the scandal from the inside, the story of the source of Woodward and Bernstein’s work – Mark Felt.

Unfortunately, “Mark Felt” doesn’t deliver on those high hopes. It is well made, with a great cast (including Liam Neeson as Felt), but it just feels too conventional with very little insight into its title character.

The film follows Felt as the Watergate scandal unfolds. While Richard Nixon fights for his presidency, Felt is a career FBI man who appears headed to succeeding J. Edgar Hoover, but is passed over for someone who appears to have been chosen to help sweep Nixon’s transgressions under the rug.

The deeper the cover-up becomes the more Felt feels compelled to speak out – ultimately becoming the whistle blower to Woodward and Bernstein.

Neeson is solid as Felt, part of a cast that also includes Diane Lane as Felt’s wife (a subplot involving the Felts’ estranged daughter goes nowhere), Tony Goldwyn, Josh Lucas, Bruce Greenwood and Kate Walsh.

Director Peter Landesman crafts a political thriller that hits all the right notes, but it never feels like it has anything much to say about the subject. Anyone familiar with Watergate will likely find no new insight in “Mark Felt,” which ultimately lacks the substance to make the film truly memorable.

Starring: Liam Neeson, Diane Lane

Directed by: Peter Landesman

Rating: PG-13 for some language

Playing at: Regal Hollywood 27 in Nashville (Opens Friday)

Grade: C