THE INFORMERS
US, 2009, 98 minutes, Colour.
Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke, Winona Ryder, Jon Foster, Amber Heard, Rhys Ifans, Chris Isaak, Austin Nicholls, Lou Taylor Pucci, Mal Raido, Brad Renfro.
Directed by Gregor Jordan.
Curiosity might be a reason for seeing The Informers – to see how the other half (or the other quarter) lived in affluent LA in 1983. This is a version of stories by Brett Easton Ellis. It is over twenty years since his first novel, Less Than Zero, was filmed with James Spader and Robert Downey Jr. Idle, affluent, decadent and wasted lives. It was much the same in Rules of Attraction filmed in 2002. However, Ellis is best known for his portrait of a Wall St serial killer, the amoral Patrick Bateman, the American Psycho.
They said that greed was good in the 1980s (as per Gordon Gecko in Wall Street), but this film says that self-absorbed, excessive hedonism is good. The range of characters include a TV station manager and his estranged and neurotic wife, a TV news reader, an addled (to say the least) rock star and his manager, a gigolo, an ex-con who abducts children. These are some of the characters and drugged lives we are exposed to.
One desperate young man, Grahame (Jon Foster), who seems to be the centre of the drama, does say towards the end that he wants someone to tell him what is right and what is wrong, so there is a moral down there somewhere in Bret Easton Ellis' vision of those days.
The older cast (Billy Bob Thornton as the TV executive, Kim Basinger as his wife, Winona Ryder as the newsreader Rhys Ifans as the rock group manager and Mickey Rourke as the ex-con) are better performers than the younger cast who seem more like characters from a glossy soap opera, though Mel Raido as the British pop-star is frighteningly gross, brutal and ugly.
While The Informers is the name of the Rock group on tour, we are not so much informed as to why these people lead the lives they do as we are shown how they live them – with a rather alarming image of the advance of AIDS in the final beach closing shot.
1.The writings of Brett Easton Ellis? Film versions? His portrait of US in the 1980s? His social perspective, moral perspective? For the 21st century? The similarities of period, the differences?
2.Los Angeles in the 80s, the world of the wealth, apartments, hotels, television stations and studios, the beach houses? The contrast with the poor, the motels, the streets? A cross-section or not of Los Angeles?
3.The title, the band? Their tour? Performance? The music for the score, of the period, rock, MTV, agents and minders, groupies? The studio sequences of filming an MTV item, the music, the behaviour, the drugs?
4.The world of television stations, programming, the pitches for films, absurdity, reactions? Power and authority in this world?
5.The rich, the availability of money, drugs, alcohol, sexual partners, in each of the generations? Permissive, promiscuous, excess, decadence? Amoral? Susan and her perspective about her parents? Graham and his asking to be told what is right and wrong?
6.The AIDS epidemic in its beginnings, information, Christy and her behaviour, partners, the infection, her illness – and the film ending with her lying on the beach about to die?
7.The opening, the decadent party, the young people with drugs, sex, the car out of control, Bruce being killed? The wake, his mother and her speech, the people gathering for him, the music? The four friends gathering together, discussions, callous – Graham and his concern about the grieving friend (who was in fact, no friend)?
8.The older generation, William, his position, the television studio, exercising authority, yet his smile? His marriage to Laura, so many years, his relationship with his son and daughter? His relationship with Cheryl? Seeing her on the television? The decision to return home, the discussion with Susan, her criticism of her father? Graham and his lack of interest? The meal with Laura and his children? Seeing Cheryl at the restaurant, following her, setting things up? Her return to the table, his greeting the people? His plans, Laura confronting him? Her helping him with the drug injection? The social, her not getting out of the limousine, his being on his own again? Laura, the marriage, the relationship with her children, nerviness? With Martin and paying him? William’s return, her knowing the truth, the restaurant sequence, her confrontation? The relationship with Martin and the irony of his relationship with Graham? The purpose of her life?
9.Cheryl, at work, her relationship with William, the job, his breaking with her, her emotional reaction, at the restaurant, his following her and talking? Her going to the café, the young people, wanting her autograph, mocking her? Her interviews and her work?
10.Uncle Pete, sleazy, his girlfriend and her being out of it, coming to Los Angeles, ringing Jack, the motel, the taking of the child in broad daylight, holding him in the motel, the bath, taped? The thugs and their confronting Jack for the child? Jack, his job at the hotel, the discussion with Graham, his being a would-be actor? His worry, holding the thugs off from the child, cutting his hand, smearing the blood on his clothes, freeing the child?
11.Graham as the focus, student, his relationship with his sister, parents? The purpose of his life, with Christy, the relationship, love? His jealousy? His relationship with Martin? Christy and her relationship with the others, many partners? Her health, deterioration, with Nina, the phone call, handling the crisis, wanting to be told what was right and wrong?
12.Martin, male prostitute, character, with people, Laura and the money, with Christy, with Graham? Directing the MTV?
13.The story of Tim and his father, grieving for Bruce, introverted, his drugs? His separated parents, going with his father, the tension between them, the holiday, Hawaii, the father and his roving eye? Their talking? Tim and his meeting the girl from San Diego, the friendship? Coming to dinner? The issue of his smoking, his taking it personally, the girl apologising, ruining the holiday for him?
14.The portrait of Brian Metro, British, on the plane, Roger as his minder? His being out of it, not knowing Los Angeles? The hotels, with the underage girls, getting rid of them, the phone call to his wife, wanting to see his children? Roger’s arrangements, the pitch for the film, its absurdity? His walking out? Performance, the concert, the groupie and his violence towards her?
15.The effect on the audience of spending this time with these characters, their world, their lack of values – their excess?
