THE INFORMERS

THE INFORMERS: PREDECESSOR TO GOSSIP GIRL

Remember in the '80's when we all ran around having bisexual relations, snorting coke, waking up and taking that first hit off the bong then chain smoking and laying around all day? Welcome to the Informers. Brett Easton Ellis is one of the most prolific writers from that generation. However, like all great writers, he wrote about what he knew, and his view of youth is not like most of ours. His characters are rich and bored and numbing themselves anyway possible. Read the book. Ellis wrote Less Than Zero which also became a movie, better known for a terrifyingly real portrayal of a young man out of control, Robert Downey Jr. Same set up, bored rich kids with every opportunity on a platter yet choosing from the vending machine instead. Ellis also was responsible for American Psycho staring Christian Bale.
This film, however, had a most odd assortment of characters and actors that puzzled me. Mickey Rourke had a rather sleazy aura in a storyline including the late Brad Renfro, that didn't seem to fit with the movie. The lead character, our narrator, Graham (Jon Foster) really stuck a nerve in me. I found him neither compelling nor attractive in any way whatsoever. Billy Bob Thornton and Kim Bassinger acted as his "parents" but neither role wowed me. The end was seen coming at the last mile marker and though a major crisis in the '80's, still didn't give it the attention and proper drama it deserved.  An interesting movie, but only those who had an attachment to the 80's of Ellis' work.
Bite: Not one I'd like to watch again, but it was interesting and did re-create the decade.