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Rated 2.71 stars
by 267 people


ReelTalk Movie Reviews
Chicken Soup for the Soulless
by Adam Hakari

You have to hand it to Bret Easton Ellis; the man loves a challenge. Through works such as The Rules of Attraction and American Psycho, Ellis' mission is to acquaint readers with the most morally devoid characters imaginable -- the very people you don't want to root for.  These tales met with great success on film, and his latest adaptation, The Informers, is set squarely in that most wretched hive of scum and villainy: Los Angeles. With Ellis himself writing the script, one would expect this case study of the rich and famous to be particularly stinging. But The Informers lacks bite and is curiously low on bark. It's a mishmash of sullen stories that resemble what Robert Altman might've put out on an off day.

Considering Ellis' penchant for putting the high life's dark side on display, it comes as no shock that The Informers is set in the most decadent of decades, the 1980s. Gordon Gekko may not be around, but this cast of characters has embraced the "greed is good" philosophy -- though they suffer greatly for it. The story is comprised of various interwoven threads connecting members of Hollywood's populace from the ground up. Graham (Jon Foster) is an entitled lad caught in a love triangle with an unrequited love (Amber Heard) and the pal (Austin Nichols) he's had a few rolls in the hay with. Studio mogul William (Billy Bob Thornton) faces a similar pickle, torn between his long-suffering wife (Kim Basinger) and a TV reporter (Winona Ryder). Other figures drift in and out of focus, including a small-time crook (Mickey Rourke), proving that broken dreams hurt no matter how much money you have.

If The Rules of Attraction was his fledgling concerto,  The Informers should have been Ellis' magnum opus. The man is presented here with his greatest canvas yet, given an entire city to sift through in order to expose the vapid depths many descend to. That's why it's surprising The Informers misses its mark completely and does so without the slightest hint of style or smug satire. Gregor Jordan (director of the vastly underseen Buffalo Soldiers) gets the "life stinks" part of the equation right but forgets to include the part about why the audience should care. There's a train wreck sort of appeal in watching the lives of these characters self-destruct, but Jordan at times reveals something of a soft spot for these misanthropes. Although it's a nice thought,  when the cast could just as easily be supplanted by those frowny-face icons, emotional investment seems a far reach.

In The Informers, no one is given any other motivation than "be sad," so the movie fails as a character study. It also falters as a throwback to the '80s since there's nothing to immerse viewers in the period, save for the occasional wacky hairstyle and Men Without Hats tune. Worse yet, it botches the ensemble piece angle by robbing its cast of substantial material. The actors just wander around with the bare minimum of direction.  Foster, and the late Brad Renfro (in his last role) show signs of potential with their performances, but without a beacon embedded in the plot, their monologues and introspection mean jack. The same goes for the scant symbolic imagery Jordan does conjure; though the film's last shot, that of a corpse catching some sun, appears  novel, it's an exercise in art that's ultimately hollow.

The Informers had a shot at being something special. This grim saga contains all the makings for an indie gem, so its failure to properly utilize them enhances one's disappointment. Just like the lost souls it surveys, there's nothing "there" to this film -- except for the mere illusion of activity and the audience's capacity to give a darn.

MY RATING: * 1/2 (out of ****)

(Released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and rated "R" for strong sexual content, nudity, drug use, pervasive language and some disturbing images.)


                                                                                                                                                                               
 
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