Matt
Damon is one of the handful of actors who can draw me to a picture on
his name alone mainly because aside from being a 'personality' he is a
good actor in the same realm as Tom Hanks so I know I will be in the
small minority of reviewers who will go thumbs down on "The Informant!"
Matt has put on 30 pounds, wears an obvious toupee and becomes more of a character actor than a star. As always he is
interesting to watch but the first hour is so boring that I found
myself drifting off more than once. The last 45 minutes, to a certain
extent, tries to pull off "A Beautiful Mind" but I was so numb by then
it couldn't/didn't capture/hold my interest.
Based on a true
story about a young, biochemist, who is the youngest vice president,
becomes an informer for the FBI against his company in a price fixing
scheme there is more beneath the surface in this whistle blower's plans.
While Damon is the focus of the film, and on screen about 99% of the time, he does share it with Scott Bakula and Joel McHale as the FBI men, both doing a competent job, and Melanie Lynskey as his wife, not particularly good and with an annoying voice.
The
film is not as funny as the previews seem to promise nor is the second
half as serious as it should be. The music, by Marvin Hamlisch, is at times amusing while at other times annoying not coming anywhere near his score for "The Sting" or his music for "A Choris Line".
All in all this movie is a disappointment as I think it will be at the box office.