The Informers looks, sounds, and feels just like that special brand of quirky festival movies that I really don’t like. You know the ones I’m talking about. And it’s even based on a novel for fucks sake! However, there’s something special about this movie that makes it worth checking out. First of all, it’s the last movie that Brad Renfro ever made as suffered a drug overdose later that year. The movie is actually dedicated to his memory. Second of all, it deals with the infamous existential dread and just the general fuckedupness of life. It reminded me of London, although it features a darker but steamer atmosphere.
Set in the turbulent and decadent eighties, The Informers follows the lives of the rich and famous over the course of one week. Their world is full of sex, alcohol, drugs, and clinical depression, so it’s pretty intriguing to watch. I do not want to mention the ye olde Mexican soap opera The Rich Cry Too, but I simply have to, so there you go. You also feel the breakdown of the classical official system of values caused by the excess of money and power. The pace at which the story unfolds is a bit slower but this leaves enough space to think about what’s going. What would you do in that situation or is it all worth it? Or should you light up another joint and join them in the search of the teen spirit.
In this one, you will have to dig a little deeper under the surface to realize what the writer was trying to convey because the storytelling is very subtle. And apparently bland, if I might add. It all looks like a series of random events, but still, underneath it all lies something bigger. The first brush of humanity with something that will plague it later on. I will leave you to explore this issue on your own. When it comes to characters, I have to say that it was hard to find someone who’s likable or even relatable. Perhaps stemming from all the mediocre performances. Although I will admit that Kim Basinger is still a fucking dive along with Chis Isaak who looks like he’s 35 and is actually 53.
With a running time of just over ninety minutes, a lot of nudity, and drug use, this is a short and sweet ride. I mean almost half of Amber Heard’s screen time she spends completely naked, so there’s that. I have to say I admire her bravery and commitment to go all in here. She’s the reason why we got this memorable and incredibly artistic scene. And I’m not just saying that because Amber’s naked and smoking weed, just look at the composition of the shot and you’ll see it. And there will be plenty of male nudity too in this movie, which is a nice change. I’m all up for equality of nudity. Don’t expect anything too profound or some grand narrative that’s going to appear towards the end and you should be fine.
Director: Gregor Jordan
Writers: Bret Easton Ellis, Nicholas Jarecki
Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke, Winona Ryder, Amber Heard, Chris Isaak
Fun Facts: In interviews, screenplay writer Bret Easton Ellis expressed disappointment with how the film turned out.
Rating:
IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0865554/
