Friday, September 25, 2009


The Informant!
....a Friday Matinee review





Fat Matt Damon plays the real life Mark Whitacre, a young rising executive with Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), the agricultural giant that can make anything from corn.

Mark is bright with an education in biochemistry, and well liked within ADM. He discovers that ADM is engaging in international price fixing of a food additive, and turns informant/whistle blower.





He has a beautiful wife, Ginger, played by Melanie Lynskey, and three kids, living in Suburbia Illinois.





He spends two and a half years recording meetings with competitors around the world for the FBI. He considers himself a hero of sorts, and has visions of becoming the CEO of ADM once the hammer falls.




The inconsistencies in the details starts to turn the tables on Mark, and the FBI have him submit to a lie detector test. I don't want to go any further with the details or results of this test because the movie takes a twist ........





FBI agents Brian Shepard (Scott Bakula) and Bob Herndon (Joel McHale) who were instrumental in cracking this corporate corruption, became close to Mark Whitacre for the two and a half years of working on the case for the Bureau. They liked Mark, but were taken off the case once things twisted and turned.

I hesitate to go into further details because I really liked this movie, and don't want to spoil it for any of you who might decide to see it. It's rated R and I don't know why. There is no nudity, no F-bombs or other foul language that I noticed. Maybe the corporate corruption? This movie is a comedy, but it's not what I would call ha ha funny, just Mark Whitacre being naive and a bit unsophisticated in the role of a secret agent.

I give this movie five stars....because it's a true story, and I liked it.


8 comments:

Deb said...

Now really...Matt is not fat! Just a little heavier than his normal "Hollywood" physique.
I knew this was a movie I wanted to see.

Busy Bee Suz said...

WOW. 5 stars????
I must see it now. Lo was watching Oceans 13 yesterday...how we love Matt Damon in this house!!! Fat or thin. :)

Anonymous said...

I saw this movie too and liked it. I read where Matt Damon gained 30 lbs to make this film, but don't ya think that rag on his head weighs 10 lbs?

Colin

HalfAsstic.com said...

OOOOOH! I LOVE true story movies! They are sooo much more gratifying to watch. I am such a simple minded realist, that even when watching a really good fiction movie, I know in the back of my mind that none of it's true and it just takes a little away from it.
I will have to go see The Informant as soon as John is well... if he ever gets well!

Anonymous said...

Sounds very good. I never seem to get to the movies anymore, but I'll try to remember the name of this one when it makes it to video.

I just caught up on your flu shot posting and noticed that the "blog administrator" removed a comment. Did you have a nasty visitor? We won't stand for anybody being rude to our beloved Grandma J!

Karen B.

Unknown said...

I want to see it now too! Thanks for this great review.

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

It's nice to hear there are movies without the vulgar language and nudity, unless of course the nudity if Matt Damon's. Even so, glad it was good.

I can't see JJ's Christmas List because of my dial-up internet. Maybe he and Crusty can just send me their lists via e-mail when we get closer to the season, in other words day after tomorrow since Halloween is already a month away and we all know the holiday season starts well before Halloween.

Pat Jenkins said...

grandma j you need to start getting paid for your reviews because you do such a good job with them!!!