The Informant!

The Informant is a lighthearted take on the price fixing scandal that ended up sending a number Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) executives to prison in the 90's. Matt Damon is Mark Whitacre, an ADM executive, who is seemingly outraged by ADM's practices, and as a result, goes to the FBI, where he becomes the "informant" of the title. As the story unfolds, it becomes obvious that Whitacre is a lot more complex than the wide eyed innocent that he seems to be. The film is quite funny in parts, especially when Whitacre muses to himself on various mundane matters or when he makes official announcements into the wire that he's wearing. It also drags at times too, due to an uneven script. The film, directed by Steven Soderbergh, also employs some unique music, at times almost carnival in nature; it works well within the context of the film, and adds much to it. Maybe this film would have been better if they decided to treat a serious subject seriously, instead of going the comic route. As it is, the film is only a partial success.

Rating - 2 1/2 Stars