The Informers
In this screen adaptation of the novel of the same name, Brett Easton Ellis brings us a tale of decadent Los Angeles, circa 1983, where everyone was young, rich, and choosing their paths–which typically were self-destructive, indulgent, and drug induced. (Full Disclosure—I’m not a very big—or at all–a Brett Easton Ellis fan). But as a fair arbiter and critic, I’ll give credit when credit is due–and his is due here:
The movie is evocative of Robert Altman’s Short Cuts, a feature film derivative based on Raymond Carver’s writings. Its stellar cast consists of Amber Heard, Billy Bob Thornton, Mickey Rourke, Rhys Ifans, Kim Basinger, and Winona Ryder.
The film is a series of 4 vignettes, where the stories and characters, metaphorically as well as physically, play out their Shakespearean trials and tribulations; eventually colliding with, and within each other’s story.
The movie’s main theme is about how people who have both everything—and nothing—do things when they have a moral choice to not do things when they have free will to make two choices–a bad choice or a good choice.
Bad and good, of course, are moral as long as morality is defined within one’s own parameters.
Remember that at one point in Socrates’ life he was sentenced to death, and is in a prison awaiting his sentence of death. Also, his old friend Crito was telling him to escape and save himself. Socrates argues about moral standards, and tells that if a man was pursuing "physical fitness," he would listen to a "doctor or trainer," and ignore the advice of others. He puts his situation in the same light. He says that he should listen to the wise rather than the foolish. Socrates insists on act with principal rather than self-interest.
Socrates plainly states that, "What is dear to the gods is pious, what is not is impious." But, he responds with the statement that sometimes even the gods disagree; "the just and the unjust, the beautiful and the ugly, the good and the bad. Are these not the subjects of difference about which, when we are unable to come to a satisfactory decision, you and I and other men become hostile to each other whenever we do?" Therefore, he maintains, "what all gods hate is impious, and what they all love is pious, and what some gods love, and others hate is neither or both.
Source: Plato’s Thoughts on Morality
The Plot
Essentially, the movie’s plot follows Graham (Jon Foster), a guy who has everything, but is annoyed because his estranged parents William (Billy Bob Thornton) and Laura (Kim Basinger) want to get back together in another try at a hopeless, and narcissistic attempt at “marriage;” and his frenetic and hysterically funny sister who insists that he’s a loser. If that’s not enough he has a full time job servicing and swinging with his beautiful girlfriend Christie (Amber Heard). And a “new disease” is “coming around” during the movie’s then époque.
The second short, is about a alcohol imbued and drug besmirched rock star, named Bryan Metro (Mel Raido) who is always unhappy. Again, a man who has everything takes a wrong turn.
The uniquely acted third portion of this movie has Jack (Brad Renfro), playing a shy and socially awkward average man. And as a wannabe actor, working as a doorman, his world is turned upside down, because his Uncle Pete (Mickey Rourke) literally comes crashing into his house with a sixteen-year-old girlfriend in-tow. Shades of the underbelly of society come to bear hard upon the movie viewers.
Lastly, Tim Price (Lou Taylor Pucci) has to go to Hawaii with his dad, who holds about as much respect for his kid as he would a dog—however Pucci is savvy and well versed in the eternal father-son estrangement. The sequence of events leading to Pucci putting his rich dad in his place, is a thing of beauty to watch. When the ultimate put-down is rejection by pure and simple reasoning, it’s hard not to respect that. And Pucci knows the jig is up.
Whether one loves the film or hates it, sit back and you’ll get a crash course–and a coarse degree–in familiar vicissitudes; which are unfortunately all too common in this movie about, with, and using Los Angeles as the hymnal ode to triumph and defeat.
The first scene in the movie is worth it, if not only for that alone.
Those who dislike the film with such profuse opprobrium, remind me of those that like “happy endings” because it makes them “feel better.” Because those who complain of the “worthlessness” of the movie’s characters–and then tie it back to Ellis’ past projects–probably prefer fiction over truth. It’s much tidier.
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