Michael Whitacre (Matt Damon) decides that he doesn’t like the way certain things happen in his agro-business, so he turns informant with the FBI under false pretenses. Once he’s in he tells them why he’s really there, price fixing!
How exciting! The title totally deserves the exclamation mark!
Actually that’s part of the problem. We know that corporate espionage isn’t exciting, the film makers know that, so they go tongue in cheek with it. Unfortunately what might have worked as a gag in a short film doesn’t so much over a long one. Exciting spy music where exciting spy music should not be isn’t funny the half dozenth time.
And that’s the whole problem with The Informant! It doesn’t seem to know what tone to go for. It looks a bit like a film set in the 70’s, and the location and date titles that pop up are in bubble writing to match that style. But its set in the 90’s.
It’s cast leans towards the comic, Melanie Lynskey, Joel McHale, Paton Oswalt amongst others. But its not overtly comic. Farcical in many ways yes, but not all that laugh out loud funny.
It says its based on true events, and I don’t know how true that is. But if it is its extremely convoluted. Things twist and turn on a whim and you never really know whats actually going on. Particularly towards the end.
Its not terrible, but its not great. I can’t really recommend or warn you off from The Informant! But don’t expect anything terrific.
Next up: Friday the 13th. The remake. Ruh roh.
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