Moive Primer: The Informant

This is a short primer for the dark comedy known as The Informant. The film with have its wide release on September 18th 2009. The trailer for this film can be found at http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/theinformant/

The Plot: Matt Damon plays Mark Witacre a high-ranking executive who is based on the highest ranked whistle blower in US history. The story about an executive who works with FBI to bring down his own company would have all the workings of a thriller if it weren't for the bizarre man at the center of the case. Once Witacre puts on the wire for the FBI he starts to think of himself as a secret agent of sorts all the while defrauding his company for millions while he is also investigating them for price fixing.

Star Power: Matt Damon clearly is the star of this movie playing the unstable and amusing Witacre. This is a complex character but Damon seems to be at ease in the role. Scott Bakula also has a major role as the FBI agent that has to try to make a case out of the all this madness. Joel McHale of Talk Soup fame also has a small role.

Behind the Screen: The movie is based on the book, by Kurt Eichenwald and the book is based on the actual events surrounding informant Archer Midland. It has been adapted for the big screen by Scott Burns. The director is Steven Soderbergh who might be one of the hardest working and most diverse directors out there today. Sodenberg has directed caper movies Oceans 11-13, but also dramas like The Good German and Che.

What to expect: This is an interesting movie. It has all the plot and setting of a corporate thriller, I mean its even based on actual events. Yet it has all the delivery and presentation of a comedy. Most likely what that means is the movie is going to have a real story to tell but also be very funny. Matt Damon is transformed at his loveable, goofy looser type of a character and I think he is going to surprise some folks with this role. He had not had a great deal of success with comedy yet but this might be the movie that turns things around. Sodenberg is one of the most accomplished directors of this generation. I am not quite sure yet what to expect from this movie but I expect it will be good.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1130080/
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/theinformant/