THE INFORMER

US/UK, 2019, 113 minutes, Colour.

Joel Kinnaman, Mateusz Kosciukeiwicz, Rosamund Pike, Ana de Armas, Common, Clive Owen, Martin McCann, Eugene Lipinski.

Directed by Andrea del Stefano.

This is something of a grim crime and police thriller. And it has quite an interesting range of characters and performance, Rosamund Pike and Clive Owen transported to the US and US accents.

However, the central character is played by Joel Kinnaman. His character originally comes from Poland, which eventually entangles him with Polish criminals, drug deals in New York City, drugs being brought in by diplomatic pouches and getting through customs, the setting up of buying opportunities by the kingpin, Polish, in New York. Joel Kinnaman is Piotr, after action in Iraq and its consequences, is a driver for the syndicate.

But, it is revealed, that is working undercover for the FBI, controlled by Rosamund Pike, everything ready for busting the crime lord only for an undercover New York police agent to reveal himself for an arrest and get himself shot. The controller drives away, leavingPiotr to manage, always with the threat to his wife (and the day are mask) and his little daughter. And the threat does become real.

The FBI controller is warned of the case by her boss, Clive Owen. And, one of the officials of the NYPD, played by Common, is investigating the death of his agent and targeting Piotr.

Which means that there are plenty of complications to keep audience interest, tangles to be extricated from, threat to wife and daughter, intervention by the NYPD, clashes with the FBI, and the FBI chief wanting to eliminate Piotr.

Piotr has gone to jail for the drug Lord to be a distributor of drugs within the prison, his wife stuffing a dead pigeon with drugs velodrome dropping them on the roof of the prison… There are sympathetic prisoners, an unsympathetic warden who tries to hangPiotr, Piotr taking the warden as hostage, a siege of the prison, explosions and escape.

There is some clever manipulation at the end in setting up the FBI chief for a fall and for his agent to be free and for Piotr to be reunited with wife and daughter.

1. Crime and police thriller? Prison drama? FBI investigation?
2. New York City, familiar scenes, the streets, homes? FBI and police officers? The prison sequences, harsh? The musical score?
3. The title, Piotr’s story, age, marriage, daughter, devotion to family? Polish background, Polish connections? War service, injury? Court case, jail time? Used as a Polish courier? Used by the FBI as an underground informer? Managed by Wilcox?
4. The situation, the Polish network, importation of drugs, the diplomat and his bringing them into the country, the drive, the contacts, the sales, the underground agent revealing himself, his being shot? Wilcox in the setup, hoping to pinpoint the leader? The killing, her backing off? Leaving Piotr stranded?
5. His wife, the flowers, with her daughter, her devotion to her husband, knowledge of his life and connections, support?
6. Piotr summoned to The General, the discussions, the threats, the proposition that be to go to jail, distribute the drugs within the jail?
7. Wilcox, the discussions with Piotr, the discussions with Montgomery? Montgomery in charge, wanting Wilcox off the case?
8. Piotr, to go to jail, the scene in the house, smashing the crockery, his wife ringing the police, his arrest, being processed, in jail?
9. Piotr in jail, the phone calls to Wilcox, her letting him go? Jail, the types, the connections, violence, the drone and the distribution of the dead bird with the drugs, the contacts within the prison? The corrupt warden, his wanting Piotr hanged? The group hanging him, letting him go?
10. Piotr, the plan, taking the guard hostage, going to the tower, Montgomery and the FBI intervention, Wilcox and her observing? The squads coming in, the siege? Piotr and his getting the gas tanks, the explosion, the death of the warden, his survival, being taken out, the ambulance, Wilcox in the ambulance, giving him the gun?
11. The complexity of the police situation, Grens, the local New York police, the death of his agent, his suspicions of Piotr, surveillance of the house, confrontation with Montgomery? The contact with Piotr in the prison, the phone calls, his link, the offer of help?
12. The threats to the wife and child, the thugs, Grens in the house, his being shot, his being saved by Piotr’s wife shooting?
13. Piotr, his escape, Wilcox and her meeting with Montgomery, his urging her to eliminate Piotr, the setup, Montgomery and the arrest, Wilcox and the microphone and the recording?
14. Piotr, the family and future?