"The Informant" is directed by Steven Soderbergh and stars Matt Damon. It's a combination of drama and comedy and one of those things that proves that making good movies these days is not impossible. Although after some absolutely awful movies this summer, people have good reason to be skeptical...yep...this is indirectly bashing Michael Bay...yet again...
"The Informant" is based on a true story and covers 10 years in the life of Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon). He works at the company in Illinois, Archer Daniels Midland. He has a pretty high position in the company, but becomes a spy for the FBI. He ends up doing fun things like getting wires tapped, traveling to several different countries, and stealing millions of dollars from the company.
Matt Damon proves that he is indeed a great actor. He hasn't done many comedies in his career, but he is extremely capable. He has several funny lines, many of them via narration, which are very effective. His character is more complex then he at first leads on. Damon shows great range with his role; it's a great blend of drama and comic timing. He has chemistry with the rest of the actors in the film including those he works with and those related to the FBI. Although this chemistry isn't necessarily seen with him and his wife, she does love her husband and is pretty supportive. I feel like explaining the main character any further could possibly spoil parts of the movie, since he is the central character.
The script is strong, which is always helpful when watching a movie. It's nice when people actually spend some time writing a good script. There's no sense in spending close to 10 bucks to have your intelligence insulted and leaving the theater annoyed. It's smartly written and is able to ease from drama into comedy pretty effortlessly. For the most part the pacing is good. However, in a couple parts it tends to drag on a little bit.
Cinematography is another strong point. There are several unique camera angles and everything is well-edited together. A broad variety of shots are present as well, which visually adds to the enjoyment of the movie. The look of the movie in terms of lighting and such feels like it's supposed to be the 1970s. The movie starts in 1992. So I'm not sure why it feels like the '70s, but I liked that aspect of it.
The music in the film definitely adds to the comedy at times. It's all done by Marvin Hamlisch, famous stage and film composer. His music feels like a combination of music found in a James Bond movie (he actually did the music in one of them) and a Broadway musical score (to which he is also no stranger.) It fits the tone of the scenes well, though not in the conventional sense. It also serves as a reminder that this is indeed a comedy and not just an intensely serious drama about spying for the FBI and stealing millions.
The movie is well-made and entertaining. Great acting, especially from Matt Damon is present. He makes his character interesting to watch. Drama and comedy mixed together when done right is always a good thing. I think Damon, Soderbergh, and the rest of the cast and crew definitely got it right. 3 out of 4 stars.
-Joseph Sbrilli
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