The Informant!

Hey, look at Matt Damon! He’s old(ish)! He’s fat (a bit)! He has a silly moustache! Though it might be a curiosity, I doubt whether Damon’s physical appearance in this film is enough to entice people in as it hardly looks like an entertaining night out. However, appearances can be deceptive (which is also pretty much the story of this film) as Steven Soderbergh crafts an enjoyable, if dry, little film. Matt Damon stars as Mark Whitacre, a vice president at an agricultural firm, who turns informant for the FBI in respect of price-fixing across the board. As The Informant! is based on true events, if you already know what’s coming in the film, then you won’t be all that astounded by what happens. However, if you have no idea of the Whitacre story then you are in for a few surprises. Soderbergh deftly lets the story unfold with subtle references to the head-scratching incidents that occur as opposed to spoon feeding the audience the information. Damon gives a decent performance as Whitacre, but all the make up in the world can’t disguise the fact he looks like a freshman at a CEO fancy dress party. Damon scores best in his scenes with a couple of FBI agents (played by Scott Bakula and Joel McHale), who feel they have hit the big time with Whitacre’s help. Their looks of disbelief and exasperation as their dealings with Whitacre become more than what they thought are one of the highlights of the film. There is also some wry amusement to be had at the early 1990’s setting ranging from outrageous clothing to mobile phones the size of bricks. However, the awful soundtrack Soderbergh’s selected grates to the point of distraction.

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict
This is hardly edge of the seat stuff, but if you stay with it you will be rewarded as the layers of deceit on all levels slowly reveal themselves. Rating: 6/10.