In 2000, Kurt Eichenwald released “The Informant,” a factual thriller documenting Archer Daniels Midland executive Mark Whitacre’s involvement in a lysine price-fixing conspiracy. Nine years later, director Steven Soderbergh (“Che”) added an exclamation point and this gripping work of nonfiction became “The Informant!,” a clever comedy starring a hilarious, rather pudgy Matt Damon.
While audiences will never know what this film “based on a tattletale” would have been like had Soderbergh actually adapted Eichenwald’s book as is, it is certain we would have witnessed a much different portrayal of Whitacre from Damon and that would be a damn shame. Damon carries the weight in this film — literally and figuratively — and it is because of him that Soderbergh’s gamble panned out.
Mark Whitacre (Damon) is a biochemist who has worked his way up to an executive position at Archer Daniels Midland, an agriculture conglomerate based in Decatur, Ill. After an unrelated blackmail incident brings the FBI into his workplace, Whitacre turns whistleblower for the agency, fearing they will catch wind of ADM’s cooperation in an international price-fixing scheme. However, as the investigation progresses, it slowly becomes apparent Whitacre may possess more secrets of his own than of his employer’s.
The reason Soderbergh is able to take what was a cautionary tale about white-collar crime and turn it into a comedy is he manages to find the humor and irony in Whitacre and his actions. He portrays Whitacre as a brainy schlub and pathological liar who is too smart for his own good, creating an anti-Erin Brockovich, the title heroine in the film that earned Soderbergh an Oscar nomination for best director — he ended up losing to himself. As a result, what would have left readers shaking their heads in disapproval in the book has audiences cracking up as Whitacre moronically attempts to take down the company, secretly helping himself in the process. At the same time, Soderbergh still succeeds at keeping all the suspense from the book by having Whitacre’s lies slowly unfold in a comical fashion as the film progresses.
While Soderbergh undoubtedly deserves the credit for his directorial approach, a huge pat on the back goes to screenwriter Scott Z. Burns (“The Bourne Ultimatum”) for providing the film with its comedic kick. Not only does Burns intertwine wit into the entire screenplay, but he also sporadically sneaks in hilarious nuggets of comedy gold in the form of random, nonsensical thoughts running through Whitacre’s head.
Unfortunately, comedy is about the only thing Burns has going for him in regard to his screenplay. The film starts off excruciatingly slow, taking forever to develop the basic plot setup. Even then, the movie is perpetually involved in a maddening game of red light, green light, picking up only to come to a halt soon after.
The characters are also cursed with little development. Characters like Whitacre’s wife, his co-workers and the FBI agents all receive little to no attention, playing the role of the gray that makes the colorful Whitacre pop. Luckily, the film’s wit, perfectly matched score composed by Marvin Hamlisch (one of only two people who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony, Golden Globe and Pulitzer Prize) and magnificent cinematography that includes remarkable contrasting shots of rural and urban landscapes are enough to keep the film compelling when the story drags.
Although the role of Whitacre probably could have gone to a handful of talented actors and still maintained its humor for the most part, after watching this film, it’s difficult to picture anybody other than Damon in this movie. Whether it’s narrating his wired recordings or gushing over corn, Damon perfectly embodies the caricature of Whitacre that Soderbergh sought to create.
The supporting cast, however, spends the movie hidden in Damon’s larger-than-normal shadow. Scott Bakula (TV’s “Star Trek: Enterprise”) rarely shows any emotion as Special Agent Shepard and when he does it seems forced. The comedic talents of funnyman Joel McHale (TV’s “Community”) are also wasted as the actor plays a straight-faced agent without any real sense of humor.
“The Informant!” is certainly not one to miss, if only to see Damon in a role that, without a doubt, ranks near the top of the actor’s illustrious career — it certainly is his best comedic performance to date. While the story may not be as thought-provoking or well-written as the novel, it’s definitely a hell of a lot funnier.
3 1/2 stars out of 5.
