MOVIE REVIEW ... THE INFORMANT!

MOVIE REVIEW ... THE INFORMANT!

In a world obsessed with gathering information, our ability to sift fact from fiction is paramount. Especially important when reading the latest gossipy titbit, accepting something at face value is never a good idea. It's a mantra ignored by The Informant's clueless characters as the build up of lies and deception creates a very confusing vicious circle. Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon) works as a biochemist at a leading agricultural firm. When he informs his boss that a mole is leaking company secrets, they call in the FBI. Upon their arrival, Mark then tells them his business is involved in a price-fixing ring. Insisting he becomes their inside agent, the FBI lean heavily on him to rat on his colleagues. But when Mark's increasingly bizarre behaviour causes concern, his innocence becomes questioned in a climate devoid of truth. Complete with an exclamation mark in the title and a jazzy soundtrack, Steven Soderbergh's latest effort extends his quirky directorial sensibilities. This is shown in his deft mixture of comedy and drama where the corporate shenanigans slowly make way for an examination of one man's delusions of grandeur. With a tale ripe for plenty of biting satire with characters living in an orbit of dishonesty, The Informant! continues the tone set in Soderbergh's Ocean's 11 series. That franchise's commercial appeal laced with his independent film-making background successfully crossed genres which The Informant! almost manages. An added bonus is Matt Damon's performance as an unstable character lost in his own imaginary world. Progressively trapped by his own duplicity, his manic musings make for an interesting character to watch. Every facet of his personality is given added nuance by Damon who is reasonably supported by a varied cast. Based on true events, it occasionally suffers from sluggish pacing and a sense of forced humour rather than having it transpire naturally. But you can't fault the enthusiasm of those involved and the actual story is so engaging as to force the viewer to witness the final undoing of a dodgy swindler. Not quite as memorable as it could have been, The Informant! still has a lightness of touch making some of the 'business speak' accessible. With a fine lead and twisty plot, viewers should derive some fun in its journey through the corporate jungle. Movie Review Rating 6 / 10 Movie Review by Patrick Moore THE INFORMANT! released in Australia on Thursday 3rd December 2009. If you have any comments to make about this Movie Review, then please use the comment box, titling your comments with Movie Review THE INFORMANT! Patrick Moore's Movie Review is an alternative look at current movie releases in Australia. Official HomePage click HERE