The Informant!

The Informant!

Steven Soderbergh’s The Informant is a strange comedic take on a guy that is or isn’t completely crazy. Based loosely on a true story, the movie never takes itself too seriously. The movie is based also on the book of the same name that details the whistle blower Mark Whitacre. The movie certainly has a Coen brothers feel to it, and Soderbergh does a masterful job with that style.

First off, Matt Damon brings it as the delusional VP of a company involved in a global price-fixing scam. Damon is so into the character that I had a hard time liking the character of Mark Whitacre. Since most of the movie pretty has Damon in every scene, he has to take shine at every moment. It should also be noted that Damon gained a lot of weight for the role.

Whitacre may or may not be crazy, but the movie will make you really hate this guy. His inter-monologues almost never have anything to do with the scene at hand. And, most of the monologues are based on false information. Even the film’s score, by Marvin Hamlisch, is in on the joke. At one point, Whitacre talks about something Mexican and the music, in mid note, changes to a Mexican song. The music even has a James Bond feel to, because Whitacre thinks that he is 014.

The FBI agents, Joel McHale and Scott Bakula, also have a rather large part in the story. Their reactions to Whitacre’s antics are also amusing. At times, the movie does enter a little too far into the absurd. And, the story does feel a bit too long toward the end. I can only take so much of Whitacre’s craziness.

Overall, it is a good movie that does have some good laughs thrown in for good measure. Matt Damon is the reason to watch this movie. Damon seems to be having fun making this character look like a complete ass.

Grade: B

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