Damon is a one man show in The Informant!

"The Informant!"
Starring: Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Melanie Lynskey, Joel McHale
Grade: B

Matt Damon has never been better, starring as true life whistle blower Mark Whitacre. A doughy Damon, packed on 30 pounds, sported a ridiculous wig, and grew what looked like an uncomfortable mustache to portray Whitacre, a big shot who worked for a lysine developing company called ADM.

The film, directed by auteur Steven Soderbergh is breezy, fun, and a little confusing at first, but reveals its layers gradually due to its solid script written by Scott. Z Burns. The film starts in Decatur, Illinois where we are introduced to the simple world of Whitacre, one that will surely be changed and be flipped on its head throughout the film. He's nearing a position in upper management at his company, until the FBI come sniffing around and use Whitacre as a mole to uncover price-fixing and corporate kick-back schemes. All of this is very detailed, and amusing, as the audience shakes their head the whole time at what transpires.

The Informant is an odd little film, filled with 70's spy music, and a loopy performance by Damon that should remind film-goers that he is truly an A-lister, one who never receives enough credit. Do yourself a favor, picture the action star in the Bourne films, and then go see this movie, Damon transforms himself. Whitacre narrates most of the film, quietly offering his commentary on not so important things, its mainly just him... talking.

The film is cast well, but its Damon's film from beginning to end. Rounding out the cast are Scott Bakula, in a nice supporting role, and Joel McHale from TV's "The Soup," both of whom play FBI agents who monitor Whitacre throughout the film. Melanie Lynskey plays Whitacre's confused and disapproving wife Ginger, and several other familiar faces pop in and out of the film as well.

For amusing laughs, and an original twist on the spy genre, "The Informant!" offers plenty to admire, and to chuckle about. One can tell that Soderbergh and Damon had fun making this film which was shot in only 30 days. This film could have been portrayed many ways, but Soderbergh and his writer were spot on in making this a comedic vehicle for Damon to cruise along with.

Note: This review first appeared in The Jambar.