The Informers

Based on the book by Bret Easton Ellis, The Informers contains "scenes" of "characters" doing "things" and thus can be called a "movie." In all other respects this monstrosity feels like something a Communist country might churn out in an effort to both trumpet its new film state-run industry and decry American excess. Devoid of interesting characters and full of vacant acting (a comment on the superficiality of Los Angeles perhaps) the film's biggest mystery is how exactly Billy Bob Thornton, Winona Ryder, and Kim Basinger were clubbed into submission and convinced to act in it. Why does Mickey Rourke kidnap a child off the street in broad daylight? What happens to Chris Isaak as he attempts to pick up two women in a Hawaii bar? If you can answer these questions you saw more of the movie than I did. I bailed right about the time two characters were debating whether their friend was or wasn't a male prostitute. RIP Brad Renfro, it isn't right that your final screen appearance was in this blink-and-you'll-miss-it turkey.