The Informant: Matt Damon Goes Crazy for Corn Conspiracy

So, I watched "The Informant" with the thought of some form of satiric or comedic story based on a true story.  It truly is a movie about a true person, Mark Whitacre, who worked in a high-level position within an agricultural company.  And, it is the story of his years as an informant for the FBI back in the 80's.  What I'm going to let you in on, of which I had no warning, is that at the end, you get punked!!  Well, not really, but that's how I felt.  My rating:  $3.00 for ever wanting to see it again but $7.50 for the acting (1.-10.). 

The protagonist, Mark Whitacre (Damon), narrates the movie intermittently.  I'm the health care field and have seen all kinds of nuts.  I should have recognized 'flights of ideas' and delusions of grandeur' right from the beginning.  If you've heard of such things and never been exposed to it....this is your chance.  Damon does a dandy job all the way to the end. 

Starting at the beginning of the era in question, Mark Whitacre has been at agricultural giant, ADM, for a relatively short time before rising through the ranks to vice president with his likable personality, poor boy up from the dirt personal history, and brilliant PhD background in chemistry (I think).  One day he gets a phone call from a Japanese agricultural representative who hints at a price-fixing conspiracy among many agricultural businesses throughout the world.  An inside corporate spy will be identified for a specific sum of money out of ADM's pockets. 

That fuse sets off the next 90 minutes of firecrackers.  The sets, clothing, and hairstyles are conspicuous for the time period.  The audience can feel "oh, how geeky were they!'.  Damon's Whitacre balances his perfect wife and 2 kids at home with the building intrigue at work over a five-year period.  The FBI comes snooping around for a very different reason at first.  As the anguished, loyal, naive employee who wants to 'do the right thing', Whiteacre slowly gets absorbed into a huge investigation.  Knowing he is spying on his friends and colleagues makes no impact on Whitacre's glee throughout.  I should have known he liked it too much.  When the trap is finally sprung, you'll be as flabbergasted as I was as to where it all goes.  It was fascinating to see a brilliantly deviant mind at work, especially since the audience is manipulated right along, too.  Don't worry -- Mark Whitacre is alive, well, and successful.   

Most of the cast were faces I may have seen before; but, they weren't all that well known.  Scott Bakula as the primary FBI agent onto whom Whitacre hooks himself and Melanie Lynskey as the loyal and faithful wife, Ginger, are about the only ones I really recognized. 

Investigative journalist, Kurt Eichenwald, wrote the original book based on Whitacre's exploits.  He must be given credit for unraveling Whitacre's convoluted brain and making it into a written document. Scott Z. Burns wrote the screenplay (also wrote 2007 'Bourne Ultimatum"/produced "An Inconvenient Truth").  Burns will probably get an Oscar nod for getting it converted to a script. 

Steven Soderbergh directed (also directed the "Oceans 11, 12, and 13" movies).  It's rated 'R' (but trust me, no kid will want to see this lunacy).  The run time is about 1 hour 50 minutes.  Matt Damon's goofy look on the primary poster tells a lot.  I'm sure this was technically a good movie.  Just not good for me.  By the way, if you stay for the end credits, you get to find out how everyone's life turns out. 

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