Review of The Informant! (2009) by Jeff B — 09 Feb 2013

In his meticulously researched book The Informant: A True Story, investigative reporter Kurt Eichenwald approached his subject matter as seriously as a heart attack. Sometime experimental (Bubble, The Girlfriend Experience) and sometime H?Wood (Traffic, Erin Brockovich) director Steven Soderbergh, in turn, took these real events as reported by Eichenwald and transmogrified them to fit into what would seem like the furthest applicable genre?comedy. Granted, he wasn?t trying to wring laughs out of Sophie?s Choice, but the gauntlet was laid down for pure disaster?but your reviewer is happy to inform all potential filmgoers that Soderbergh?s comedic bent works?really REALLY works. Sadly, his spot-on and outrageously funny treatment did not need much transmogrifying.

In this R-rated comedy, Damon plays a bumbling but high-ranking whistleblower of a major corporation whose de facto dealings with the FBI begin to uncover a multi-million dollar trail of embezzlement.

Bourne Identity star Matt Damon has proven that he has acting chops beyond playing an amnesiatic hitman (Syriana, The Departed), but with the Informant! he gives his best performance yet. His transformation into a schlubby everyman proves flawless (he gained 30 pounds and added a bad mustache), but the no-poker-face body language and delivery will deservedly win him an Oscar nomination. Though the deck is stacked with perfectly played supporting gigs, Damon carries Soderbergh?s timely material to a surprising but satisfying end?appropriate exclamation point and all. With this hilariously sad sack tale, Soderbergh and Damon have turned tragedy into comedy in the same revealing mirror-to-society manner of Robert Altman?s M*A*S*H in 1970.

Bottom Line: Incredible! In-tune! Indeed!