O Masterpiece
O Excellent
O Good
X OK
O Mediocre
O Avoid
Review by Jason Pyles / September 18, 2009
For those who are unfamiliar with the shenanigans of Mark Whitacre, this review is careful not to reveal any surprises surrounding him.
Matt Damon plays this character, who is a real-life person portrayed as an onion-layered enigma who sometimes seems dimwitted — other times brilliant — but always possesses more than we know. He is the exasperating subject of “The Informant!,” Steven Soderbergh’s new crime-comedy adapted from a similarly titled book by Kurt Eichenwald.
“The Informant!” begins by informing us that it’s based on real events, though the characters are composites of multiple people and the dialogue has been dramatized. It is the story of a chatty biochemist who becomes entangled in the corporate misdeeds of his company. Because Whitacre insists that he’s ultimately a good person, he agrees to help the FBI as a semi-effective, semi-bumbling informant. Myriad complications ensue.
Damon demonstrates some depth with this character. During a few scenes Whitacre has to act. It’s always impressive to see a performance within a performance, where an actor convincingly inhabits a character who is simultaneously portraying another persona. (Steve Carell is masterful at this — and Robert Downey Jr. performs actor’s acrobatics in “Tropic Thunder” that are mind-blowing.)
“The Informant!” is comparable to Soderbergh’s other criminal comedies, like “Out of Sight” or “Ocean’s 11,” but it’s not nearly as much fun. It is completely dialogue-driven and probably won’t entertain those who are easily bored by the absence of violence and explosions. Indeed, the film’s R-rating is earned solely for profanity.
To be honest, “The Informant!” is a little boring because it’s a “pay attention and listen closely” movie that’s occasionally amusing but never hilarious.
The saving grace of this film is Damon’s frequent voice-over narration, which exposes his character’s random, tangential thoughts, allowing us to wander around in Whitacre’s wonderings. I was reminded of Saturday Night Live’s “Deep Thoughts — by Jack Handey,” with random commentary about indoor swimming pools, sweaters, butterflies, polar bear noses, etc.
On one hand, “The Informant!” is a timely film, released in a decade littered with corporate scandals and fraudulent financial institutions; on the other hand, after hearing about corruption ad nauseam, a film like this isn’t exactly escapist fare.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Matt Damon / Scott Bakula / Tom Papa
Comedy 108 min.
MPAA: R (for language)
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