THE INFORMERS — ★ — Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Foster, Mickey Rourke; rated R (profanity, drugs, nudity, violence, vulgarity, sex, gore, slurs); in general release
If you didn't know any better, you'd swear "The Informers" was supposed to be a spoof or a parody of author Bret Easton Ellis' works.
After all, it's filled with the same decadent, debauched and now-cliched characters you'd find in one of his books — or one of the movies that were based on them. But this sprawling, wanna-be "Short Cuts" tale is so over-the-top and so insufferably unpleasant that it makes even his infamous "American Psycho" seem tame by comparison.
But Ellis has no one to blame but himself for this disastrous, train wreck of a movie. He was involved directly in its production, having co-written this adaptation of his own short story collection and having served as its executive producer.
"The Informers" examines the excessive lifestyles of Hollywood residents, circa the early 1980s.
Among them are sleazy movie producer William (Billy Bob Thornton), who's been carrying on an affair with TV newscaster Cheryl Laine (Winona Ryder).
Given his lack of personal and professional ethics, it's no wonder William's wife, Laura (Kim Basinger), and spoiled-rotten son, Graham (Jon Foster), want little to do with him.
Meanwhile, Graham's pal, Tim (Lou Taylor Pucci), has been spirited away by his estranged father (Chris Isaak). And wishy-washy hotel doorman Jack (Brad Renfro) has gotten an unexpected, unwelcome visitor: his uncle (Mickey Rourke), who's always involved in criminal activities.
There are simply too many stories and too many characters here. Thankfully, a dopey subplot about a vampiric Los Angeleno did get the axe, but director Gregor Jordan and the screenwriting team should have pruned more.
It certainly wouldn't hurt if we liked any of these people. The only characters who elicit any sympathy are Ryder's aging newswoman and Renfro's hapless Jack (sadly, Renfro died shortly after the film was completed).
"The Informers" is rated R and features strong sexual language (profanity, vulgar slang and other frank sex talk), drug content and references (narcotics), full male and female nudity, strong violent action (an auto-pedestrian collision, some implied gunplay and peril, and some violence against women), simulated sex and other sexual contact (both straight and gay, some of it implied), some gore and blood, and derogatory language and slurs (some based on sexual orientation). Running time: 97 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com