Movie Reviews

Blowing the whistle on a distracting soundtrack

Matt Damon gained 30 pounds to portray Mark Whitacre.  (Warner Bros.)

The Informant!

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Running time: 108 minutes

MPAA rating: R (harsh profanity)

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"The Informant!"

"The Informant!" opens with the chatterbox biochemist played by Matt Damon preaching the virtues of corn.

It's too subtle a warning, however, that director Steven Soderbergh will wait until at least halfway through to reveal his corn pone approach to a dramatic story.

While the idea of a corporate whistle blower eager to help the FBI fascinates throughout, "The Informant!" veers off the tonal path in the name of finding a unique niche. 

 

Soderbergh, an Oscar winner for directing "Traffic" in 2000, appears to want to avoid the dramatic tone of "A Beautiful Mind," the bio-drama starring Russell Crowe, or even anything remotely of like confused mind.

So Damon, who put on 30 pounds and a mustache to portray real-life whistle blower Mark Whitacre, mutters under his breath about everything from neckties to polar bears.

It's not until Soderbergh allows his lead actor to ease an itch under his character's toupee that he truly reveals a playful nature to match the bouncy soundtrack.  Up until that moment, it's as if Woody Allen's "Bananas" soundtrack is being used as temp music for a dramatic story that will change some lives.

Based on Kurt Eichenwald's book "The Informant (A True Story)," Scott Z. Burns' screenplay peels away layers of Whitacre's mental facade as the vice president of agri-industry giant Archer Daniels Midland turns government informant.  There's price fixing going on, by golly, and Whitacre would rather wear a wire for the FBI than see his company (not to mention global partners) bilk the good citizens out of millions of dollars.

If you want to enjoy "The Informant!" as a corporate mystery that'll slowly reveal the bad apples as it bounces along merrily and musically, please skip the next paragraph.

From this aisle seat, I think it's more fun to know that Whitacre is a major manipulator from the get-go.

That said, just know that Damon, who finally gets to do some real acting outside the confinement of those "Bourne" action-thrillers, makes a competent corporate chameleon.

I also like Scott Bakula ("Quantum Leap") as constantly baffled FBI Agent Brian Shepard.  And Melanie Lynskey (Stalker Rose on TV's "Two and a Half Men") adds mystery spice as Ginger, Whitacre's supportive (and compliant?) wife.

We can always count on Soderbergh ("Che," the "Ocean's" franchise driving force along with buddy George Clooney) to bring something offbeat and often daring to the movie screen.

"The Informant!" has its plot, dialogue and acting in the right place.  For the first half, at least, the unnecessarily goofy music just took me completely out of the story.

Gloom, 'Bloom' and kaboom

Mark Ruffalo, left, and Adrien Brody team up as comedy con men. (Summit Entertainment)

The Brothers Bloom

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Running time: 113 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13 (profanity, violence, adult situations)

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"The Brothers Bloom"

"The Brothers Bloom," written and directed by emerging filmmaker of note Rian Johnson, is one of those intricate con-man comedies full of quirks.

If you liked "The Sting" and especially "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," there's a good chance you'll at least be intrigued by Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo as con men siblings who agree to pull off one last sting operation.

Johnson's screenplay lives in a lower tonal octave than either "The Sting" or "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," however. This one's all about gloom and, come to think of it, boom. Things blow up real good at times.

Stephen (Ruffalo) is the mastermind. He makes up elaborate scenarios and -- usually after much prodding -- convinces younger brother Bloom (Brody) to go along.

Bloom has had it with the game playing for profit, though. He reluctantly agrees on one last big job and, wouldn't you know it, he falls in love with the mark. She's an eccentric, bored, wealthy New Jersey heiress portrayed without a flaw by Oscar winner Rachel Weisz ("The Constant Gardener").

Once he's entrenched in her life, Bloom asks Penelope (Weisz) what she does to occupy her time.
"I collect hobbies," she replies in monotone before demonstrating a dozen or so of her acquired skills (skateboarding, ping pong, etc.).

Ruffalo, who had the misfortune to co-star in "Blindness," and Brody, an Academy Award winner for his fine work in "The Pianist" in 2002, are believable enough as brothers. And certainly Weisz can only improve almost any movie she graces.

"The Brothers Bloom" comes close, but it never quite blossoms into a globe-trotting con game you're likely to be enthralled by all the way through.

I must say, though, Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi, an Oscar nominee for her work as the deaf teen in "Babel," is a load of fun as the usually silent Bang Bang, the gang's demolition expert.

Johnson took a Sundance Film Fest prize for originality for "Brick," his first feature. He shows here that he hasn't quite reached his full potential as a filmmaker. But it's coming. I'm sure of it.

"The Brothers Bloom" bogs down in its own gloom at times.