Steven Soderbergh is pretty aware of what will entertain different kinds of audiences. With The Informant!, he offers up a story for the kind that enjoys bumbling comedy, mustaches, corporate crime, and Scott Bakula. Based on the book of the same name (sans exclamation point) by journalist Kurt Eichenwald, the film follows bio-engineer-turned-corporate lackey Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon), a devoted family man, as he exposes the price fixing in the agriculture industry by his company, ADM, and its international competitors. He turns informant for the FBI, working closely with Agents Shepard (Scott Bakula) and Herndon (Joel McHale), and making hundreds of recordings of the meetings he and his superiors set up with various other companies.
He spends years gathering evidence, generally effectively but with some minor incompetent hiccups, hoping that when the case goes public and the other executives are arrested, he'll be put in charge of the company as the highest-level employee left. As the investigation gets deeper and deeper, the FBI questions Whitacre's honesty and motivations, creating a debate about looking into his possible illegal actions as well.
Despite its fairly serious real-life plot, The Informant! is light-hearted and fun in its storytelling. Whitacre's voiceover internal monologue is utilized for comedic effect, which was an unexpected plus though not always placed successfully. Matt Damon really embodies the role of this intelligent but often clueless executive, imbuing Whitacre with likability, humor, and a layer of desperation. I dug Scott Bakula, as well, because who doesn't? Joel McHale is surprisingly low-key, his biggest impression upon me being his insane tallness. Also, Hey Biff Tanen from Back to the Future! How are you?
This movie isn't all that long, but it certainly feels it. It doesn't drag, necessarily, but time passes at weird intervals and the whole film takes a big turn about two thirds of the way through, so the pacing is a bit off. It also doesn't blend the comedy and drama very well. It's pretty funny for the most part, but then I didn't take the dramatic moments very seriously. Overall The Informant! is enjoyable and engaging, but not funny or intense enough to really have an impact. Definitely worth watching, though. And I kind of want Marvin Hamlisch's jazzy 60's spy score to be the soundtrack to my life...
3.5/5
Saturday, September 26, 2009
The Informant! (2009)
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And I kind of want Marvin Hamlisch's jazzy 60's spy score to be the soundtrack to my life...
ReplyDeleteWho doesn't?!
Great review btw, even though I dug it a bit more than you I would have to agree with a lot of what you've said here. And I quite liked McHale's part...showed he's got some range from his usual Talk Soup zaniness.
I'm in line with you, if not a little lower. For a real-life story, Damon's character (at the least) wasn't made very real. He was a cartoon, someone to laugh at rather than understand, even when his house of cards comes falling apart. I think that had it just been a piece of fiction, I might've cared for it a bit more.
ReplyDeleteHatter: I liked McHale taking a more serious turn as well, but didn't feel like he stuck out at all since he wasn't given much to do except stand around and talk about the FBI. I didn't even recognize him at first, to be honest!
ReplyDeleteFletch: I agree, knowing that it was nonfiction made it less funny than it could have been with such a silly lead character.