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The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

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Old 09-20-09, 12:12 PM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

I loved it. Damon is one funny dude. However, I seriously would have rethought the music. The tone and the performances were funny enough, they would have carried the movie with only minimal music. It was far too whimsical and intrusive in many scenes to the point of distraction; almost as if it was giving the audience the cue to laugh.
Old 09-20-09, 01:44 PM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

Originally Posted by dan30oly
The "look" of the movie seeming to be earlier in time that the 90's is one thing I can maybe forgive them for. Remember, the movie took place in IOWA I was just out there a month ago and it seemed like going back in time about 10 years (in regards to clothing styles).

If you've ever been out to the mid-western area and it isn't Chicago or St. Louis, you pretty much step back ten years in time.
Old 09-20-09, 06:47 PM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

I saw this earlier in a back-to-back shot with Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. I don't think I've ever loved a film so much, that seemed so long. I really liked this one, but I did check my watch a few times because it just felt soooooooooo long. If I had looked at my watch and see that it was three hours long or more I wouldn't have been shocked. I've never liked a movie where I felt that way during it, but I did here.

That said, as much as I liked this one, I think I enjoyed CWACOM even more.

By the way, am I crazy for thinking that Scott Bakula looked an awful lot like Ronald Reagan throughout the movie, especially when he sorta was squinting his eyes in a lot of scenes? I couldn't believe it, I can't be the only one who noticed that.

Last edited by Brent L; 09-20-09 at 06:50 PM.
Old 09-20-09, 07:05 PM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

I'm seriously perplexed by why anyone would like, or even love this movie.

The only other movie I have ever hated as much as this was Magnolia.

I'm kinda curious if the same people that liked/love The Informant are also Magnolia fans.
Old 09-20-09, 07:16 PM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

Not every movie can be the masterpiece that The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is. But hey, at least this one had Biff Tannen AND the Smothers Brothers.
Old 09-20-09, 07:53 PM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

Originally Posted by dan30oly
I'm seriously perplexed by why anyone would like, or even love this movie.

The only other movie I have ever hated as much as this was Magnolia.

I'm kinda curious if the same people that liked/love The Informant are also Magnolia fans.
I'm perplexed by your outright hatred of this film and why you seem determined to make sure everyone hates it as much as you. I can see why it might not be your cup of tea, but to hate it at the level you obviously do is confusing.

I wonder if your expectations were skewed to begin with, or if you went in the wrong mood for this kind of film, or if you just didn't understand what the film was trying to do. Were you expecting a straight up doofy comedy, Adam Sandler style?

You mentioned that Damon's character had no charm; I didn't see that at all. And you don't have to have a likable character for a movie to be successful. I thought Damon's character was likable and even when he was exposed as a liar, I still was interested in him what happened to him.
Old 09-20-09, 08:12 PM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

Originally Posted by dan30oly
I'm seriously perplexed by why anyone would like, or even love this movie.

The only other movie I have ever hated as much as this was Magnolia.

I'm kinda curious if the same people that liked/love The Informant are also Magnolia fans.
I loathe Magnolia and cannot believe that you're at all comparing The Informant, whose opening credit sequence alone is better than all of Magnolia, to that poor excuse for a film.
Old 09-21-09, 08:09 AM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

Originally Posted by Suprmallet
I loathe Magnolia and cannot believe that you're at all comparing The Informant, whose opening credit sequence alone is better than all of Magnolia, to that poor excuse for a film.
Kevin? Is that you?
Old 09-21-09, 08:35 AM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

Originally Posted by dan30oly
I'm kinda curious if the same people that liked/love The Informant are also Magnolia fans.
I really liked The Informant! (4/5 stars) but would call Magnolia ONE OF MY FAVOURITE MOVIES OF ALL TIME. Masterpiece.
Old 09-21-09, 08:43 AM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

Originally Posted by dan30oly
I'm seriously perplexed by why anyone would like, or even love this movie.

The only other movie I have ever hated as much as this was Magnolia.

I'm kinda curious if the same people that liked/love The Informant are also Magnolia fans.
I've never seen Magnolia (nor have I seen the Informant), though one day I will, but...aren't you the guy that had awesomely shitty taste in movies from a while back? I think you really liked Paul Blart...liked as in..as it's a good movie kind of like.
Old 09-21-09, 09:50 AM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

I thought this was great! I especially enjoyed the music score from Marvin Hamlisch - it was bouncy and infectious.

question: I couldn't tell if was watching a bad 35mm print or not, but I saw this at the Uptown and it can be hit or miss. The print looked like the film was shot through cheese cloth, whites bloomed and for a film that was shot with 4K Red One cameras, the image on the large Uptown screen looked like 16mm - has anyone seen this in DLP or digital projection caused the cinematography looked devoid of clarity and heavy on the brown color palette.
Old 09-21-09, 10:01 AM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

Originally Posted by Giles
I thought this was great! I especially enjoyed the music score from Marvin Hamlisch - it was bouncy and infectious.

question: I couldn't tell if was watching a bad 35mm print or not, but I saw this at the Uptown and it can be hit or miss. The print looked like the film was shot through cheese cloth, whites bloomed and for a film that was shot with 4K Red One cameras, the image on the large Uptown screen looked like 16mm - has anyone seen this in DLP or digital projection caused the cinematography looked devoid of clarity and heavy on the brown color palette.
I didn't think it looked very nice either and our screen was rather small. Sort of faded looking, but Soderbergh always shoots stuff weird I guess. Or it's post processing. I just thought it screamed video same as Public Enemies did. But this is a case where it works for me.

As for Marvin Hamlisch - I liked the score, but it did take me out of the film a lot. I thought I heard some music reminiscent of Bond a couple of times.

4/5 for me too. Good addition to the Soderbergh oeuvre.
Old 09-21-09, 10:18 AM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

Originally Posted by Suprmallet
I loathe Magnolia and cannot believe that you're at all comparing The Informant, whose opening credit sequence alone is better than all of Magnolia, to that poor excuse for a film.
Line of the year.
Old 09-21-09, 10:39 AM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

Originally Posted by MBoyd
I didn't think it looked very nice either and our screen was rather small. Sort of faded looking, but Soderbergh always shoots stuff weird I guess. Or it's post processing. I just thought it screamed video same as Public Enemies did. But this is a case where it works for me.

As for Marvin Hamlisch - I liked the score, but it did take me out of the film a lot. I thought I heard some music reminiscent of Bond a couple of times.

4/5 for me too. Good addition to the Soderbergh oeuvre.
I think there might been some color manipulation during the DI process.

My friend was upset that the movie wasn't in 2.35, since wide movies really curve on the Uptown's massive 75 foot screen.

My 'older' (over fifty) friend didn't know who Hamlisch was - I kind of looked at him dumbfounded and a tad perplexed that he had no idea who he was.
Old 09-21-09, 10:55 AM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

Can anybody figure out why this was "R"? The MPAA says "Language" but I don't remember anything that was that bad.
Old 09-21-09, 11:56 AM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

More than one "fuck" and the MPAA slaps an R on anything.
Old 09-21-09, 12:00 PM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

I don't remember any, but I thought you were allotted three. Maybe I'm desensitized by "Deadwood", but the language in this film was pretty tame.
Old 09-21-09, 12:15 PM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

It's insane, but there were a few 'fucks' spread around. I remember a 'motherfucker' and realized it had to be R, but I didn't know going in.
Old 09-21-09, 12:20 PM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

You can count me in as another who liked this and couldnt stand Magnolia... So I guess that theory is shot down.
Old 09-21-09, 12:38 PM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

Originally Posted by FinkPish
More than one "fuck" and the MPAA slaps an R on anything.
Most kids probably here the word fuck 5 times between getting out of their car and sitting down in the theater. But hearring it on screen is going to damage them.
Old 09-21-09, 01:07 PM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

Originally Posted by FinkPish
More than one "fuck" and the MPAA slaps an R on anything.
Without those few swears, it would have been G (according to my memory). The situation reminds me of Waiting for Guffman (though that movie only had 2 F words).
Old 09-21-09, 05:13 PM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

Originally Posted by FantasticVSDoom
So I guess that theory is shot down.
It wasn't much of a theory to begin with.
Old 09-21-09, 07:01 PM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

Originally Posted by FantasticVSDoom
You can count me in as another who liked this and couldnt stand Magnolia... So I guess that theory is shot down.
Fair enough.

Originally Posted by NoirFan
It wasn't much of a theory to begin with.
You're right, I was kinda just curious to see if there was any correlation.
Old 09-21-09, 07:15 PM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

How would you guys compare this to Schizopolis?
Old 09-22-09, 01:12 AM
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Re: The Informant! (Soderbergh, 2009): dark comic thriller with Matt Damon

Other than the fact that Soderbergh made both, I wouldn't compare them.


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