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Printer-Friendly ModeDamon comedy shows snitching ain’t easy
September 21, 2009 —
Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s trilogy thrived on the slight of hand. By the end of the series, audiences had come to expect the deception.
Soderbergh employs a similar form of storytelling with The Informant! The only difference is the story that unfolds here isn’t rooted in fiction ... most of it, anyway.
Ocean’s alum Matt Damon takes on the lead role (along with an extra 20 pounds and mustache) of Mark Whitacre, the high-ranking executive who blew the whistle on his company’s price-fixing scheme during the early 1990s.
Through Whitacre’s position with the company, he helped stockpile hundreds of hours of video and audio for the FBI’s investigation.
Those unfamiliar with the case will get comfortable with what seems like a standard telling of someone playing ball with the Feds.
But as layers are added to the increasingly complex tale, we see this is one of those instances where fact is stranger than fiction.
Progression reveals more deceit and a remarkable incompetence by virtually everyone involved.
Contrary to its ad campaign, The Informant! is sparse on zany or overthe- top comedic moments.
There are no shots to the groin or prized car meeting a slow, destructive demise to the bemusement of the audience.
If anything, The Informant! is more of a quirky comedy with tragic undertones than a flick you would dub the comedy of the season.
Whitacre’s anecdotal voiceovers, ranging from TV show ideas to poisonous butterflies, likely will agitate viewers impatiently waiting to see the aloof Matt Damon from the film’s trailers.
Given the story’s unusual circumstances, however, the bone-dry sense of humor the film does employ is the perfect accent.
Though based on true happenings, there’s often a sense that we are looking in on an alternate reality.
Comedians such as Tom Papa (Analyze That), Patton Oswalt (King of Queens), and Tony Hale (Arrested Development) filling the non-comedic roles amplify this aura.
The distortion of reality continues to grow as more revelations surface and Whitacre’s voice-overs become intertwined with his character on screen.
Soderbergh’s film wisely avoids its overall quality hinging on its twists, though.
Rather, these abrupt shifts help better illustrate a picture of who Mark Whitacre is.
The film neither attempts to justify nor condemn Whitacre’s behavior. Instead, we are left to observe the two sides of the man.
We are allotted the room to assess how much Whitacre’s self-destructive actions offset his bravery for alerting the Feds of tactics that cost Americans millions of dollars.
Despite the contradictory actions, several FBI agents have called him an American hero.
Whether this is accurate praise probably varies depending on the person.
In spite of the bravery of his actions, Whitacre’s motives don’t always seem like they stem from courage or high morals.
He cooperates with the FBI only at the request of his wife. Several times he voices to FBI agents hopes that his actions will springboard him to leading the company.
If the praise of hero does hold true, it’s just another reminder that even in what seems like distorted reality, heroes have their shortcomings.