Movie Review - 'The Informers'

The Informers Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, and Mickey Rourke Directed by Gregor Jordan Rated R

The new film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' novel The Informers might be the first movie in which you know more about the characters before it begins than after it ends. That's particularly ironic given the title. I felt decidedly uninformed by the whole thing.Featuring a confusing plot that somehow also manages to go nowhere, The Informers is strikingly reminiscent of Ellis' Less Than Zero, at least at its core: It's a meditation on life among young, petulant rich kids in Los Angeles in the 1980s. The period touches are all there – the distinctive synth-pop soundtrack, the shame-inducing clothes, the silly hairstyles – and director Gregor Jordan manages to weave them into the surroundings with little effort. Unfortunately, the fact that this looks like it was made in 1983 is the only thing The Informers does right. It doesn't help that the many characters flung together are given as much consideration as what they're wearing. It's an impossibly empty affair. There never exists one moment that connects these characters, never an illustration of why these stories in 80's L.A. are significant not just to each other but also to anyone unfortunate enough to see them unfold: College kids practice free love that's far from free in the early days of AIDS, a married couple (Billy Bob Thornton and Kim Basinger) is undone by – gasp – infidelity, and a no-account drifter (Mickey Rourke) lines his pockets by selling kids into the white slave trade. Worse than introducing no fewer than five stories that are supposed to paint a mosaic of 1980s excess - because at the end of the day, even sprawling ensemble pieces like Crash and Nashville point to one thematic conclusion - is that The Informers doesn't take a position on any of these proceedings, and outside of the storyline involving AIDS, there is no personal finality for any of these characters. So to recap: This film features a parade of losers we certainly don't like and may actually hate that never approach a destination. So what is The Informers actually saying? You got me. Because most of these storylines begin in the middle and never seem to head toward a conclusion, the performances have no depth. Of course, it could be said that makes them a perfect fit for southern California in the Reagan era. But if you couldn't wait for the 80s to end the first time, try watching these 100 tired minutes. Or better yet, don't.

Comments

[Erica]

So basically, the movie stays true to the book. Which, to us Easton Ellis fans, is awesome ;-)