The Informant (2009)

Introduction:

The ads for this one made it look like a nutty bit of fun with Matt Damon playing a funny part. But when you’ve got Steven Soderbergh directing you know that there might be a bit more to it. What finally pushed me into wanting to see the film? Why a retro musical score by 70’s master Marvin Hamlisch.

Summary:

Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon) is in a tough spot. The company he works for appears to be engaged in price fixing with their competitors, and he can’t stand it any more. He approaches the FBI with his information, and they convince him to become an undercover mole, gathering more and more information, eventually finding a deeper conspiracy. But the FBI agents begin to see cracks in Mark’s story. Is their “Informant” nothing more than a gifted storyteller?

Good Points

• Matt Damon is perfect in the role
• The story is interesting and moves along at a good pace
• Hamlisch’s score is perfect for the tone

Bad Points:

• The character of Mark Whitacre may annoy viewers
• The tone is very light and maybe too light
• The music is so retro it may actually cause damage to more hip viewers

Overall:

This was an entertaining film, worth checking out if you are interested in seeing Damon’s take on the character. We’ve seen this story before but Soderbergh uses so many interesting elements that it all works well. He captures the period with his production design and music. The result is a fun little movie.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 4

Sound: 3

Acting: 4

Script: 4

Music: 4

Direction: 3

Entertainment: 3

Total: 3

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