The Informant!Starring: Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale
Directed By Steven Soderbergh
Runtime : 114 Minutes
To be honest, I really don't think I can fully analyze this movie without watching it a second time but from to first viewing i can tell you that i thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Insider meets Burn After Reading is the best way to describe this quirky, smart movie from Steven Soderbergh. Soderbergh, who continues to show his versatility as a filmmaker, puts together a movies that's funny, absurd and somehow, keeps you guessing even though you know what's coming. Matt Damon owns this movie from the very beginning with one of his most campy and in some ways fearless performance. Damon performance perfectly balances the realness and the ridiculous of Mark Whitacre, that he allows you to see his humanity but feel for him when he starts making a complete ass of himself. The score, done by The Sting's composer Marvin Hamlisch, is close to genius in the way it sets up this story. From the very beginning, this jaunty, retro score Set's up the world that this movie is in and let's you get ready for the ride. The script was sharp and let the story tell it self without trying to manipulate to make it more interesting.
I thought this movie was one step away from being great (And again, this might change after another viewing). It's just felt like a little thing was missing and i can't really say what it was. The story almost took too long to play out and the end of the movie really ends 10 minutes before it actually ends.
I kept thinking that this was a Coen Bros. script in the hands of a different director. The Coens love to keep you at a distance from there characters and are not afraid for you to not like the people in there story's but with this movie, you care almost immediately for Mark Whitacre, which makes this story more tragically funny then a straight comedy.
Grade B+
Movies Similar:
Burn After Reading
The Insider
Fargo