The Informant!

Matt Damon is one of the top leading men for the Hollywood circuit, no questions asked.  He’s well known from the thriving “Bourne” and “Ocean” franchises, though his latest release is a demonstration in his more curious role choices.

“The Informant!” is a strange peak into the world of corn, its byproducts, and its business; the height of exciting action and suspense.  Sarcasm aside, be thankful if you go see this movie that this is only a backdrop for the plot.   Matt Damon’s character Mark Whitacre actually reveals a supposed saboteur within his corn company.  Circumstances continue to escalate rapidly, so much so that he then enters a new double life as an untrained and undercover FBI agent.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, the uniqueness of this film comes from how the story unfolds.  Whitacre is almost the official guide for the audience as we sporadically hear his inner thoughts over the film’s course.  Though no characters hear these surprisingly random musings, everyone is still reliant on his information.  His family, the FBI, and the corn company all listen scrupulously to this one person.

Understanding the overall uniqueness is a bit different than seeing it however.  There are some noticeably bland sections to the script that don’t translate well on screen.  Mundane dialogue exchanges and regular location transitions as Whitacre travels for business leave its viewers uninterested, staring at the screen like they were on a boring date.

Mr. Damon’s performance doesn’t disappoint as an outrageous middle-aged company man though.  His straight faced humor seems effortless in this comedy, and yes, this is a comedy.  Each scene he is included in usually carries a decent amount of dry humor, even if the audience might not completely find it funny.  Towards the third act the mood becomes a bit more serious, but it brings the laughter around by the end to keep you smiling.

Sitting through the “The Informant!” once more would definitely be a rewarding second viewing.  It’s an intelligent film where a lot of things are said in passing, only to become more important as the plot rolls on.  Accompanying the visuals is an upbeat soundtrack that plays with and against the events on screen.  Listening carefully might provide some more insight to the characters (but you didn’t hear that from me).

There are a lot of reasons to go see this film, though if dry humor is not appealing, boredom might set in fairly quickly.  Regardless, Mr. Damon adds yet another interesting character to his repertoire and continues to display his talent.  “The Informant!” will provide a few chuckles and a thought provoking one hour and forty eight minutes.  Go out and support the movies!

_Gregg