The Informant

We watched our first movie this week, Steven Soderbergh's The Informant.

I have mixed feelings about this film. I dislike Matt Damon with a passion, and try to not watch his movies since I find seeing him onscreen makes me want to look away. I first heard of this movie at last year's TIFF, and watched the press conference, as I do for every movie whether I want to see it or not.

I was surprised to find it was actually based on the book The Informant by Kurt Eichenwald which I had read 3 or 4 years earlier and loved. And because I enjoyed the book so much I wanted to see the film.

I wasn't disappointed by the movie, and I went into it knowing that it was pretty much done with a dark comedy feel which is very unlike the book. But I guess because I feel very strongly about the food industry and big agri-business and their incredibly immoral behaviour concerning their customers, I was disappointed that the massive illegality of what ADM was doing was pretty much glossed over in the film. And because I feel very strongly about mental illness and bi-polar disorder, I was disappointed that the fact of Mark Whitacre's illness and how it may or may not have affected his choices was also glossed over.

I guess I feel like the actual subject of this true story was pushed aside to show only the facts, if that makes sense. It's sort of like it was more of an account of the details with no backstory or character exploration or even explanation of the law and the breaking of it.

It's been two days since I watched it and the movie is slipping out of my mind faster than usual.

On a scale of 1 - 10 I give this movie a 6. It was not bad, just about average, Scott Bakula was great but under used, and why was Joel McHale even in it if they were just going to stand him there like scenery?