From ultra-fit secret agent in The Bourne Identity series to the street-smart con-man in the Ocean's trilogy, we are used to seeing Matt Damon as the intelligent outsider.
But none of his previous roles compare to the confused and complex Mark Whitacre in the dark comedy The Informant!. Collaborating with Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh, the actor has traded his six-pack for a beer gut, his hip attire for boring suits and a fake moustache to become a dorky and unreliable whistleblower for the FBI.
Based on the book The Informant (A True Story) by journalist Kurt Eichenwald, the film tells the story of Mark Whitacre, who helped the FBI collect evidence in a global price-fixing case in the 90s.
But no one really understands why the biochemist and young executive Mark Whitacre is willing to turn his back on a promising career with agri-industry giant ADM. He tells the FBI he wants the truth to come out and he tells his wife he will get a promotion for putting the company back on the right track. His mind wanders on a vast range of subjects in a series of meandering voice-overs.
It's difficult to imagine that this outrageous, stranger-than-fiction story actually happened and that somebody like Whitacre could have given so much trouble to the FBI.
For some, the twists and dialogue might make the movie confusing. It's not easy to keep up with the numerous company names and supporting characters, let alone the legal terms that are used.
