THE INFORMERS — on DVD & Blu-ray

Release Date: August 25 2009

Bonus Features:

• Director & Cast Commentary
• "Human Intersections: Making The Informers"
 

Fast Facts About Gregor Jordan's The Informers

Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger Star in Disturbing Drama

© Leslie Halpern

Read the article here: Film Dramas Based on Books





New Clips:

Clip 1: "We're Both Sleeping With Martin" (extended version). Graham (Jon Foster) and Christie (Amber Heard) talk about Martin.

Watch it here: Rotten Tomatoes


Clip 2: "New Beginnings Dinner". Graham's family talk about Martin.

Watch it here: Fandango






Film Journal Review: The Informers

By Erica Abeel

Gregor Jordan and Bret Easton Ellis take no prisoners in this uncompromising, expertly crafted shocker about hedonism in early-’80s L.A.

(Warning: Contains Spoilers) 

Read it here: Film Journal International


Other Reviews:

The Movie Boy

San Francisco Chronicle
 
 

Interviews with writer Bret Easton Ellis about the movie:

A.V. Club

The Cult


 

Martin (Austin) and Graham's mother Laura (Kim Basinger) 

Source: MTV Movies Blog

If you can't see the video, try this link: MTV UK

Screencaps

 
 

The Informers Soundtrack

Featuring time capsule 80's classics and original music from the motion picture

Original Release Date: April 28, 2009 
 
Label: Lakeshore Records

Track Listing

1.  New Gold Dream - Simple Minds
2.  Dance Hall Days - Wang Chung
3.  Shadows Of The Night - Pat Benatar
4.  Only You - Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Jason Falkner, Justin Stanley and Dave Palmer
5.  Safety Dance - Men Without Hats
6.  I  Ran (So Far Away) – A Flock Of Seagulls
7.  Cars - Gary Numan
8.  The Devil Made Me Do It - 7RAY
9.  Gone For Good - Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Jason Falkner and Justin Stanley
10. Another Night - Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Jason Falkner and Justin Stanley
11. In A Scarlet Sky - 7RAY

Lakeshore Records
 

Nothing sums up the eighties better than a Brett Easton Ellis novel. Like a pile of cocaine dressed up in a power suit, his first collection of short stories, The Informers, defined an era that oozed decadence and the rise of the upper class as gossip fodder.

It’s fitting then that on April 28th, Lakeshore Records will provide a soundtrack to the upcoming film adaptation of The Informers crammed full of eighties numbers paired with original music by former Beck bassist/current Ima Robot member Justin Meldal-Johnsen and newcomer 7Ray. Meldal-Johnsen was also the film’s music supervisor which features (sort of) giants like Flock Of Seagulls, Wang Chung and Simple Minds.

Source: Holy Pomes





The Informers (Movie Tie-in Edition)

Written by Bret Easton Ellis

Random House

The Informers, based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis. The movie tells seven stories about the young and wealthy in 1980s Los Angeles.

About Martin (Austin Nichols), Graham (Jon Foster) and Christie (Amber Heard):

they are a trio of priviledged misfits who experiment with sex and drugs and philosophy.

Source: Esquire





Kim Basinger about the traumatic process of playing Laura (Graham's mother who is having an affair with Martin):  

"Every day when I get home, all I want to do is shower and never talk about this girl, this woman, again. It was one of the most decadent pieces of material that I've ever read. These people of the 1980s, they were so lost. "This is a movie I definitely don't want to see, even if Gregor Jordan is the director, who I absolutely adore. When I had to go and do ADR for this film, I was mortified whenever I had to look at the screen."

Source: The Independent

She says of the time and characters being depicted: “Morally and ethically, these people were so bankrupt. It was difficult to get up and work everyday depicting such morally corrupt beings. It was a frightmare.”

Source: The National





Bret Easton Ellis about the movie and the script:



Source: Vogue Hommes International (Spring-Summer 2009)

 

 

Interview: Gregor Jordan for "The Informers"

By Paul Fischer 

Australian director Gregor Jordan first visited Sundance a decade ago with his first film, the Aussie gangster thriller "Two Hands", starring a then unknown Heath Ledger.
Some ten years later he’s back with a very different film, "The Informers", a sex-and-drugs film based on the work of Bret Easton Ellis, which received a very different reaction at Sundance than his first film.
But Jordan is unapologetic and unaware at the film’s vitriolic reception. He spoke to Paul Fischer at Sundance’s makeshift Myspace lounge.

Question: So, let me ask you about this movie. [LAUGHTER] It appears that the critical reaction is not great.

Jordan: Oh, really?

Question: Yeah. A lot of people are upset with this movie. So I might as well pre-warn you, because it’s a very interesting reaction. And I was told by somebody that the version that we’re seeing here is even slightly cut from what was originally – that there was a lot more in the original cut of the film. Which might have something to do with why there’s this reaction. Is that true?

Jordan: Well look. Put it to you straight. This is a movie that is going to polarize people, and I’m aware of that. But the film editor of The New York Times saw the movie and loved it, and wrote a big editorial page –

Question: Here, he saw it?

Jordan: No, no, no. He saw it a week or two ago. You know, he wrote an editorial piece that was on the front cover on the front page of the Arts section of The New York. And, you know, John Horn from The LA Times saw it and loved it, and is writing a big piece. And—like, I was talking to the guy from Screen International, who said it’s one of the best movies he’s seen in a while. But then, you know, it’s interesting, because we’ve been showing it to long lead press. And, the reactions range from, like, “Loved it,” to “mixed,” to one person who said, “I really can’t find anything good to say about this film.” And I guess what I realized is that, you know, when you look back at Bret’s books, they all get the same kind of reaction when they come out. Like American Psycho, for instance, when that came out. It was viewed with outrage. And it was actually banned in a few countries. And people were very upset about it. But, you know, as time has passed, people have come to accept that it is actually a very unique piece of literature, and it’s still being read. And all Bret’s books are still in publication, and selling a lot of copies. And so, you know, I think the reaction so far to the film has been more about a typical reaction to Bret Easton Ellis’s work, because it provokes a reaction. And look, I’m not unhappy about that, because I think the people who vehemently dislike the film will still remember it.

Question: When you’re dealing with a film that has a plethora of unsympathetic characters – I mean, you don’t really feel that sorry for many people in this movie. Is that difficult to write? Is that difficult to write, and is it difficult for you to get actors to want to play that lack of sympathy consistently throughout the film?

Jordan: Well, look. I wasn’t the writer. Like you say, Bret Easton Ellis was the screenwriter on it and it’s very much about his way of doing things. And I guess it is a mindset. You know, it’s a state of mind. His way of doing things. And in terms of trying to find actors, there were certain types of actors who were just naturally drawn to this. It was interesting. We made an offer to one actor for one of the roles, and we realized that in his personal life, he was going through pretty much exactly the same as what the character was going through.

Question: And who was that?

Jordan: Well, I’m not going to say.

Question: I know, I’m kidding.

Jordan: But, you know, what we realized is that the script – especially in Los Angeles – holds a mirror up to certain people. And they don’t necessarily like what they see. So – but, you know, having said that, there were certain types of actors who really responded to the material. And I guess the darkness of it was very appealing to them. For instance, Kim Basinger said to me, “When I first read this script, my first initial reaction was, ‘There’s no way in hell I’m doing this movie.’” But she said then a day later she realized that the script actually terrified her. And then the day after that, she realized that she had to do it. Because – you know, the way she chooses her movies is, you know, she chooses roles that aren’t easy to do, and make her uncomfortable, and are generally scary or terrifying. And, you know, for that particular actress, that was very appealing to her. And I guess – you know, I would argue that compared to her contemporaries, she actually has made some interesting career choices, and is a very brave actress.

Question: I thought she was very good in this, too, by the way.

Jordan: Yeah, me too. Yeah.

Question: What do you think Billy Bob Thornton brought to this project?

Jordan: Well, I think with Billy – you know, a lot of the characters he plays are sort of like, kind of crazy people, or deadbeats. A lot of his famous characterizations. So I think from his point of view, he was attracted to this because he was playing a man of power, and a man of status. And he’s playing a dark character, who is sort of – you know, I would describe him as borderline psychotic, in that he’s someone who’s quite emotionless. He just wants things and he just takes them, without any regard for anyone’s feelings. But, you know, that kind of character populates the upper echelons of Los Angeles society, and – I guess, all over the place. And I think Billy knew how to play that character, because he knew people like that. And also, like I say, he was attracted to playing a guy with some power and status. I think it was quite different than anything he’s done before.

Question: What’s interesting is that American film generally, when it comes to sex, is very puritanical, whereas violence is a given in American film, sexuality, especially at the level that is in this movie, is generally considered to be taboo. How hard was it for you to persuade these younger actors to do what they were required to do to create the reality that you were striving for? The sexuality reality that you were striving for?

Jordan: Well, look. These young actors were so gung-ho. You know, they were fans of Bret’s work. They got into the mindset of the piece. And apart from anything else, they’re professional actors. All the nudity and sex scenes and everything were all done very professionally. And there was no – you know, we’d yell, “Cut,” and they’d all stop, and sit there and talk. And then we’d yell, “Action.” So, I guess – look. For actors, these kinds of scenes are I guess difficult scenes to do, but it’s part of their job, kind of thing. But, look. In answer to your question about American cinema and its attitude towards nudity and sex and things like that – I guess it just made me think of something. Like, the producer Marco Weber sort of – when I was having my first discussions about coming on board, he pitched this movie to me as much more like a European film than an American film. I’d read the script, and I was intrigued, but I actually was quite incredulous that someone was going to make it. Because of what you said. Films like this don’t really get made that much. And he said, “Well, I see this like an Antonioni film, or a Fellini film, or something like that. You know, it’s not a film that’s necessarily about plot. It’s more about moods and character, and about a time and a place.” And I guess when I applied that, and I – and there was actually a really interesting film that he referenced called The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, which is about all these beautiful people, all just – you know, nothing much happens. They all just have games of tennis and have cocktails, and stuff like that. but the backdrop is -- the Fascists are taking over and getting rid of all the Jews. And half these people are Jewish. But they’re having such a good time that they’re oblivious to all the stuff that’s going on. And I guess – you know, look. I mean, I don’t want to sound pompous, or anything like that. But to me, this movie sort of sits more in that realm than it does in, say, other contemporary American films. And so in that sense, nudity and sex and things like that are just normal, you know?

Question: Will there be an uncut version that will come out on DVD, do you think?

Jordan: Possibly. I mean, it was very interesting trying to cut this movie, because the script was quite unwieldy. Well, you know, it was long and unwieldy. Because, you know, Bret put a lot in there. And what we decided to do was just shoot it all. Knowing that we were going to find the film in the cutting room, in a sense. So there was actually a lot of really fantastic scenes that aren’t in the movie, that really deserve to get seen, I think. Because there’s such – you know, as just sort of isolated scenes, I think they’re really interesting moments. So whether or not that comes out on the DVD, or whether – you know, maybe they’ll put it on the Internet, or something like that – you know, yes. know.

Question: Now, your first Sundance might have been Two Hands. Obviously there’s a lot that you must think about, when you think about your first Sundance experience, given that movie. What goes through your mind when you think about how much you’ve changed, what has happened since that first Sundance experience?

Jordan: Well, it’s – yeah. I mean, I guess there’s a lot of nostalgia involved. You know, coming to Sundance ten years ago – yeah, it was exactly ten years ago. It was 1999 we were here. It was such a great experience. We came here with all the cast, and the producers. And everyone was very excited. It was a really fantastic experience. But, you know, the whole focus in that particular instance was about trying to get a distributor attached. And, you know, it was all about sales. Where this one’s a little different, because Senator distributing the film, it’s coming out on April 10th.

Question: Is it going to be NC-17, or is it going to be R?

Jordan: It’s going to be R. Yeah. It was given an R. A hard R. But – anyway, yes. so it’s coming out on April ten. And – you know, in LA and New York. And then they’re going to sort of play it forward from there. So there’s a different focus on it now. you know, really, it’s about sort of – you know, getting awareness out there, and sort of trying to get a platform to release the film from. But, you know, look. I guess – you know, Sundance is a really great festival. I mean, my memories of it were – you know, we did a lot of snowboarding.

Read the rest of the interview here:

Dark Horizons

 

Premiere: 'The Informers'

Director Gregor Jordan warned the audience in his introduction that everyone might not get or like "The Informers." In the seats surrounding me, there were a few grumbles, but in general, the audience not only enjoyed but identified with the '80s-themed drama.

The synergy may not have been with the drugs and constant sex, but the clothes, the music and the hairstyles were very evocative of the era without making caricatures of the people. Many times during the movie, a song would play, or a music video would be in the background, and there was a chuckle of familiarity throughout the theater.

Not a traditionally linear beginning-middle-end tale, the movie starts off with tragedy, then continues to display the excess of the '80s even in the face of a life lost. There were many different story lines being told, all intersecting through a group of young men and women who spend their days intoxicated and having sex (lots of nudity). The plots include a boozing rocker, a Hollywood executive, a newscaster and one that focused on Brad Renfro as a doorman whose ex-con uncle, played by recent Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke, kidnaps a kid. Lots going on.

In the Q&A following, it was revealed that the young actors had to be put through something of an '80s boot camp. When the people portraying the roles were "eating cereal and watching cartoons" during the decade, a little help might've been on target.

Los Angeles times


TOP TEN SUNDANCE FILMS YOU MUST SEE

THE INFORMERS

One of the best openings of a film I’ve ever seen. Featuring an opulent mansion house in the 80, it’s set in LA and there’s a party going on and we hear Simple Minds’ New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84) playing loudly. The guys wear Raybans, the women are very attractive, Porsche cars come and go and then 1 minute into the film, and if you haven’t sat down and settled into your seat, you’ll have missed it.

LA Story


 

Review of 'The Informers' - SBIFF 2009

At the risk of being stoned to death by nearly every critic who has seen this film, I am going to admit that I genuinely enjoyed 'The Informers', and I'll tell you why.. But first... A brief rundown.

Adapted from a novel by Bret Easton Ellis (the author of American Psycho), 'The Informers' follows several varyingly interconnected stories, forming a partial but very familiar portrait of LA in the 1980's - narcissism, over-indulgence, big hair and all.  Some of the characters (most of the younger cast members)  brilliantly reflect the cresting of that cultural wave. There's the drugged and sexed-out new-wave-rock-star, a shallow, attention-seeking-slutty-blonde (Amber Heard), and the almost personality devoid Hollywood exec (Billy Bob Thornton, and Kim Basinger) and their spoiled, self-involved disaffected cocaine-snorting children. 

There are also characters who seem less close to the zeitgeist; the overly tanned Ford Econoline-driving ex-con (Mickey Rourke), and his twitchy, slightly overweight and tousled-haired hotel-doorman nephew Jack (Brad Refro). 

There are too many side-stories to mention, but in sum, you can expect the best of the worst of the 80's; shirtless-denim-donning pool-boys, bad drapes, orgies, AIDS bruises, adultery, plenty of coke, Flock of Seagulls, formica cabinets, and more Ray-bans than you can shake a rubics-cube at. 

Since the Sundance Film Festival, Gregor Jordan's adaptation of The Informer has been getting absolutely gutted by film critics.   There seems to be an odd absence of imagination, or careful inspection when it comes to this film.

This one characterizes most of the criticisms:

"The problem with the film is that with the exception of exposing just how hollow the lives of the rich and beautiful are, none of the stories really go anywhere and while a few are sort of wrapped up by the end of the movie, some are cut off without any real kind of resolution. In the end, we’re left to wonder what’s going to happen to these people. Open endings work for some movies, but a story this depressing needs some resolution. Without one, there’s no point here other than an empty examination of overindulgence." - Kelly West of Cinema Blend

But that's the point. The film intentionally (and beautifully) over-saturates and overindulges itself - with such deliberateness that it sometimes feels like it was actually made in '83.  Everything about it lulls you into that dark, steamy, predictable, naive and shockingly shiny 80's aesthetic.  The delivery is so seductive that you come quickly to expect that big 80's ending - a big moral resolution - or maybe even a series of small ones that magically explain how all these people effected each other. Thankfully, there is nothing of the sort.

I am not always a fan of films that 'go nowhere',  but I do like them more than not, because they have the nerve to explore reality as the best art does - by using our expectations to reveal uncomfortable truths;  Very little in real life gets resolved.  Very few endings are happy and lesson's aren't always learned.  All sorts of predictable and random shit just 'happens' everyday.   So I am supremely grateful for films like 'The Informers' that undermine our built-in cultural sense that we are somehow entitled to a 'point'.    

**** 4 Stars (out of 5)

Source


 

  

The Informers 

David D'Arcy in Park City

Dir. Gregor Jordan, US, 2008, 98 minutes.

More atmospheric than following a strict narrative, The Informers, set in LA in 1983, follows the intersecting paths of several numbingly-indolent, over-priveliged Angelenos. True to its origins in a collection of stories by Bret Easton Ellis, the film is a fragmentary observation of hedonism, emptiness and loss.

Stars in the cast (Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke) should help promote this grim but impeccably-groomed picture. Rourke fans worldwide, eager for more after The Wrestler, could assure it a shelf life, although The Informers' focus on its young beauties will probably work best with audiences under 35. Slick production design and a minimum of lines to subtitle will be assets internationally.

Adapted from Ellis's collection of stories (published in 1994, but mostly written a decade earlier), The Informers is a would-be Altman-esque ensemble of couplings and betrayals. Studio exec William Sloan (Thornton) tells his resentful son Graham (Foster) that he wants to reunite with wife Laura (Basinger), while still pursuing fragile newscaster Cheryl Moore (Ryder). Graham himself is involved in a three-some with pert blonde Christie (Heard) and scheming videographer Martin (Nichols), who is also sleeping with Graham's mother Laura.

As the sexual entanglings breed distrust, the city prepares for a concert by dissolute violent rock star Bryan Metro (Raido). Ex-con Peter (Rourke) rolls in from the desert to kidnap a child to earn a few bucks – and holds the boy in the bungalow home of Jack (the late Brad Renfro), the doorman of Christie's luxury high-rise.

The script by Ellis and Nicholas Jarecki is a terse, limp compression of Ellis's LA tales. It's hard not to the film as an homage to Robert Altman's now-classic Short Cuts (1993), although its sour take on the city's rootlessness is even closer to Welcome to LA (1976), by Altman protégé Alan Rudolph.

Under Gregor Jordan's direction in a mood more languorous than that of his Ned Kelly (2003) or Buffalo Soldiers (2001), characters become real enough to draw you in, yet are not deeply drawn enough to make you care. Still, as LA icons of that time, they do hit the mark. Thornton is hauntingly gaunt as an industry executive whose children despise him. Basinger rings true as the tortured first wife, as does Nichols as the young heel who exploits her vulnerability before jumping into another bed. Ryder plays well against type as the staidly coiffed TV newswoman, abandoned by her lover as she approaches middle age.

While The Informers' pampered characters flirt blithely with the dark side of self-destruction, Rourke plays the real thing, a monstrous, ruthless thug who is already beyond the edge, stealing the show in the chilling moments when he is on-screen.

Yet Rourke has something in common with the film' s lazy rich: neither makes you nostalgic for the Reagan era.

Screen Daily