The Informant!

Starring: Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Tom Papa, Joel McHale, Melanie Lynskey, Patton Oswalt
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2009

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon) is a junior executive at a majo corporation. He begins acting as an informant for the FBI in a price fixing scheme. While he begins providing valuable information, he is not completely forthcoming and honest.

Review:

Tim: I am actually surprised how much I hated The Informant!. I was thoroughly bored with the movie almost from the get go. Steven Soderbergh has created some great movies in his career, but I have to say that this is a massive bomb. I know that many people enjoyed this movie. For the life of me, I cannot understand why.

The whole film just felt silly and pointless. We are never really given a reason to care about the agri-giant company or any of the characters. I admit I enjoyed the unexpected twists and turns, but once it is revealed that everything isn't as you first thought, the movie becomes predictable and continues to plod on. I struggled to get invested in any way. I didn't find this movie funny (I don't remember laughing a single time) and it wasn't particularly entertaining.

The cast was horribly weak. I know Matt Damon gets automatic points for putting on weight, sporting a mustache, and giving a unique performance. I didn't think he was very good at all. Yes, he deserves credit for taking an unlikely, different role. However, he was nominated for a Golden Globe! I didn't think he was particularly excellent at all. The movie did give Damon a chance to showcase his acting range (this is the same guy from the Bourne movies?), but he wasn't particularly strong. His character is completely unlikeable.

The supporting cast is worse. I enjoyed the presence of Scott Bakula, Tom Papa, and Joel McHale, but there is a reason these guys are either forgotten or basically unknown. I really wonder why Soderbergh decided to go with B-listers rather than "real" actors. Besides the enjoyment of saying "Hey, there's Scott Bakula!" or "Patton Oswalt is in this movie?" these guys all add very little. This movie definitely needed some strong supporting actors.

I admit I am a bit perplexed about how strongly I disliked this movie. I admit that the very idea of the movie looked completely stupid to me the first time I saw a trailer (and every time after), but I went into this movie with an open mind, ready to be proven wrong. It never happened. This movie was incredibly weak from beginning to end. It would be easy to mistake the pomp and irreverence for actual substance, but beneath and smug exterior, this movie is devoid of any real heart. This felt like a pointless, stupid movie, and overall, I was disappointed I wasted my time.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 3



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Erin Brockovich, A Civil Action, The Insider, Traffice, Insomnia, A Beautiful Mind