“Whitacre” blows whistle today
At long last, we can see for ourselves what a local news story looks like filtered through the Hollywood lens and magnified on the big screen starting today, September 18, when THE INFORMANT! attempts to bring down The Man in theaters everywhere. In fact, it’ll be multi-tasking in the quest to also one-up the other new wide releases – JENNIFER’S BODY, LOVE HAPPENS, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS – and last week’s winner, I CAN DO BAD ALL BY MYSELF. Can this bouncy little spiritual brother to Steven Soderbergh’s own ERIN BROKOVICH pull it off, on all levels? If you’re still unsure about shelling out your properly-earned dough for this corporate thriller that doesn’t seem to act like one, then dig on the official Warner Bros. trailer below for a sarcastic sampling:
Honestly, we don’t really care that much about where THE INFORMANT! lands on the box office charts. We just hope that Soderbergh’s take on the Mark Whitacre whistle-blowing saga makes for pleasant viewing and digestible food for thought, as well as helping Decatur and the rest of central Illinois set its best foot forward in the eyes of the entertainment business (if not the public consciousness) since the Soy Capital essentially plays itself in the movie. Please let us know what you think about THE INFORMANT! We may post readers’ reactions as part of our continuing coverage, so put on your writers’ cap and sharpen that wit, citizen film critic!
~ Jason Pankoke