Classic Movie Review: The Informant! (2009)

Steven Soderbergh's dark comedy The Informant! is one of those movies that has all the hallmarks of being a big blockbuster, but somehow failed to engage with audiences on the level it should have. Matt Damon was at the height of his late 2000's fame, having just finished doing the Bourne movies, but this character driven flick couldn't be more different from those movies.

Mark Whitacre (Damon) is a executive for the food processing corporation Archer Daniels Midland who is unhappy about a price fixing scheme that his employer and their competition are engaged in. The FBI is contacted after a blackmail attempt is made by a Japanese competitor and Mark reveals his true intention of being a whistleblower to Special Agent Brian Shepard (Scott Bakula). Mark soon embarks on the task of making a series of audio tapes that detail the nature of the price fixing scandal. But once the investigation is finished, it is revealed that Mark had also been embezzling ADM of millions of dollars and the numbers rise and rise as he struggles to keep up with the lies he has been telling.

The most enjoyable part of this movie is watching the character of Mark get more and more flustered as he goes from one lie to another. He thinks that he has everything in control and in his narration, he often alludes to the fact that he thinks he is the hero in some spy thriller. His stream of consciousness narration reveals that inside his head are just the most bizarre and abstract thoughts and we see that he has them during either important business meetings or meetings with the FBI. The character is made all the more effective from Damon's superb performance. This is mainly due to his preference for serious roles (I don't consider The Martian a comedy, but his roles in Kevin Smith's movies are pretty funny), but here he is absolutely silly and that's made more evident by the fact that the other actors are playing their roles with the utmost seriousness.

The supporting cast is phenomenal as well. Scott Bakula, known for his science-fiction TV outings more than anything, plays one of the most sympathetic law enforcement officials I have ever seen. You just feel for the guy as you see how betrayed he becomes after hearing about his actions. Melanie Lynksy is fantastic at playing Mark's strong yet long suffering wife. The rest of the cast is padded out by comedians playing the straight role. These include Joel McHale, Patton Oswalt, Paul F. Tomkins, Tony Hale, Andrew Daly and Scott Adsit.

Legendary composer Marvin Hamlisch lends his talents to make the score for this movie and it's safe to say it's a doozy. He manages to place long, dramatic, thoughtful pieces in succession with short choppy pieces that bounce along. There is also a track that complements an FBI raid in such a way that you think wouldn't go well with the theme of the scene, but he manages to pull it off. In a way though the soundtrack really represents the character of Mark quite well because it is just as all over the place as he is.

The Informant! is a fantastic character study about a guy who believes his own lies. And after watching it, you believe that fat Matt Damon is the only actor who could pull off such a delusional character. A must watch for people who see Damon as that good-looking guy who everything goes well for.

Classic Movie Review: Starship Troopers (1997)

Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers is an often forgotten sci-fi gem, especially since he is better known for his more high profile films Robocop and Total Recall. But with this movie, Verhoeven has made something a lot more relatable and extremely poignant even though it was made almost two decades ago.

In the distant future, the people of Earth are in a constant struggle against the alien Arachnids of Klendathu. Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) decides to join up for federal service with the reward of becoming a citizen, which will allow him to vote and generally just become a proactive member of society (you know, something we should all strive to achieve). Spurred on by the ever present propaganda, Johnny joins his girlfriend Carmen (Denise Richards) and best friend Carl (Neil Patrick Harris) in signing up, only to get drafted into the Mobile Infantry, an army of expendable soldiers.

The thing that stands out and makes Starship Troopers such a great movie is the comment it makes on how war turns a regular society into a group of warmongering fascists. This is set up quite well in the Nazi imagery and propaganda films that are being shown to us at all times, but that is a rather surface level element of the movie. The real message of the story is that anyone can be turned into a extremist who hates another group of people (although in this case it's ugly bugs). To begin with, the characters don't really have an opinion of the insects invading, but after being told how to think by the propaganda, they soon come around to thinking their way is the right way. And the audience too participates in this, as we are shown the same constant videos about how the aliens are bad and only you can help.

That, of course, is only one of the elements that make this movie great. It's also a great action movie too. Verhoeven is more than capable of making an incredibly thrilling action movie. The war scenes on both land and in space are spectacular to watch and for a movie from this time, the digital effects are remarkable and hold up really well, something not a lot of people would expect.

This movie features some actors who you are surprised to see in it and others that you know you'd probably never see again. Neil Patrick Harris is probably the biggest one of these surprises, especially since he gives an incredibly solid performance. Late 90s heartthrob Denise Richards doesn't really stand out for her acting chops and neither does Casper Van Dien, but he plays a very likeable character. So does Jake Busey, who is probably better known for being crazy Gary's son. Michael Ironside has a particularly favourite role of mine.

Starship Troopers is a memorable movie for me (although probably not good to watch as a six year old) and it has definitely stood the test of time. It is pretty thrilling for a low-grade action sci-fi that will get everyone excited.

Hail, Caesar!

The Coen brothers have been making movies for over thirty years, making classics like Fargo, The Big Lebowski and No Country For Old Men. These movies leave you with one feeling above all; satisfied. Their latest movie, Hail, Caesar!, feels more like the fast food version of one their films, it feels good while you're watching it, but later you wonder if you really needed it after all.

Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) is the head of production for Capitol Pictures. He is also a 'fixer' and helps get movie stars out of sticky situations. One of these situations arises when the studio's biggest stars Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) goes missing when he is shooting a biblical epic about Jesus. Meanwhile he has to deal with an array of problems on the studio lot, including Western star Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich) moving to a more dramatic role where he clashes with director Laurence Laurentz (Ralph Fiennes) over directing choices and the pregnant actress DeeAnna Moran (Scarlett Johansson) has to search for a father for her unborn child. Floating in the background are the Thacker sisters (both played by Tilda Swinton), rival gossip columnists who are on the prowl for the latest Hollywood scoop.

Hail, Caesar! is a glowing tribute to the Golden Era of Hollywood. The Coen's parody an array of movies and stars from this period, including Kirk Douglas and Charlton Heston, costume dramas, westerns and musicals. In fact there is a fantastic extended song and dance number by Channing Tatum which is a joy to watch. The subject of communism in Hollywood is broached upon, but it is in a rather lighthearted way. The blacklisted writers are shown as diehard followers of the cause and will even help people defect to Russia. This movie is also a defence for anyone who loves cinema. The Throughout the the film, Mannix is repeatedly targeted by the jet company Lockheed, whose representative implores him to leave the movie industry behind, calling it silly and frivolous. Ultimately Mannix sticks with the industry because he loves.

Josh Brolin's Eddie Mannix is a strong central character. He embodies the no-nonsense studio exec who relies on things to run on clockwork perfectly. Brolin has enough range to do serious and character roles like this one. He isn't taking himself too seriously, which suits the role amazingly. All the characters apart from Mannix don't get too much screen time, but the actors who play them leave a mark. George Clooney who I think of as quite a strong figure in Hollywood, plays the stereotypically cowardly and bumbling movie star. Alden Ehrenreich gives a funny performance as Hobie Doyle, as he struggles to give the articulation needed for more dramatic roles. Ralph Fiennes also gives a hilarious performance as his over-the-top English director. Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson both have extended musical numbers in which they are great.

I did leave Hail, Caesar! feeling slightly empty, like I hadn't really taken anything away from it. But as I look back on the film, it is filled with enjoyable tidbits and cameos that will keep you enjoying it for days after.