The Informers

    Director Gregor Jordan used the semi-autobiographical story by Bret Easton Ellis (who wrote the novel "American Psycho") to tell the story of young males (not yet men), and females (and not yet women) existing in the depravity of a narcissistic, loveless sector of privileged people living in Los Angeles during the early / mid 1980's. This film is best at two things: realistically portraying the aforementioned near zombie beings craving one sensory enhancement and then another, while cavorting from scene to scene, with a backdrop of the worst music (even for the mostly talent less 1980's) ever created.

    Director Jordan was quite adept at showing the worst side of nearly every character, and by the end of the film, I could care less who lived, who died, or who might struggle for some measure of future redemption. I rented the movie because it featured Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke and Winona Ryder. They did not have much of an opportunity to redeem this picture, for the narrative (it took 98 minutes to complete) concerned itself mostly with the misadventures of these youngsters, who lived to party, but were repugnantly weak in the pursuit of living.

    In summation: the music was bad and the people, of at least this interrelated group of the coked-up Hollywood losers, were worse. The 1980's, I lived, while raising young children that would grow up to be loving adults, was nothing like the world of these miscreants, but hopefully God will bless lost souls such as these, and offer them salvation. As far as that sorry music goes, it should never be saved. In the annals of decades, as volumes that are represented by art, when it comes to this music, there really is little worth saving from that period.

    After viewing this film, however, I agree with Kim Basinger's comments (from the Special Features section) concerning her reaction to "The Informers" as a narrative, after reading the script: "I felt like I need a long, hot shower." I too got my shower, but I still haven't gotten rid of that nasty taste from my soul. Whew!

    Rated R. Released on DVD August 25, 2009.