The Informant!

Steven Soderbergh's latest film carries many of the same nuances that have put him in a class of his own in the decade since giving us the underrated Out of Sight. There is the familiar Section Eight production team headed by close friend George Clooney, and Matt Damon in the type of lead role that we haven't seen from him to this extent before. The hip, anti-establishment visual swagger is evident in the overdone yet subtle costumes, the ridiculously inappropriate musical accompaniment and the witty dialogue that paints a beautiful picture of bizarro corporate 90's Midwest life.

The Informant! is a lighthearted film that takes a massive corporate scandal and makes it seem almost secondary to the delusional egocentric behavior of biochemist VP of a corn company; Mark Whitacre, played by Damon. Damon drives the film's attitude with an extra 30 pounds, a perfectly meager mustache and a toupee to top it off.

The film works mostly because it doesn't take itself too seriously. It's like Erin Brockovich (also Soderbergh) or a Civil Action, but with a little bit of Coen Brothers style of speed and humor. The supporting cast is great - a handful of comedians fit the roles of FBI agents, corporate executives and attorneys with straight faces, allowing the absurdity of the story to take the brunt of comic relief. Mostly however, it is Damon who shines as an exponentially spiraling amount of trouble befalls a doofus with a legitimate mental illness.

This is one of the first great films of Oscar season, and Damon will almost certainly get his second Best Actor nomination to go with the Best Picture nod. Soderbergh bounces back to life as an A-list director in his first work of art since Traffic. The past few years have been spent cultivating his relationships with Damon, Clooney and Pitt with vehicles that look like about as much fun as a director can have, but he's back on track with some quality work now.

I would recommend this film strictly for its wit and timely sardonic depiction of the vice presidents and general asinine culture of modern day corporate America. Damon is fantastic as well. 8/10.