Filed under: Movie News

Gregor Jordan's 'The Informers' is Getting Trashed at Sundance

Well, that pretty much does it for this flick...

Bad reviews don't typically deter me from wanting to see a film, but when I see negative chatter about a project to this extent it is hard to muster up any excitement as Gregor Jordan's adaptation of Brett Easton Ellis's The Informers is not receiving very kind reactions out of Sundance. Let's run down some of what people are saying.

In a post headlined "Vomit Bag" Jeff Wells says:

I just came out of it; everyone I've spoken to about it (i.e, those who saw it with me at the Yarrow) looks pained and deflated — like they've got the flu.

I know that I will never ever watch another sleazy, poison-virus flick about a bunch of empty, drugged-up Hollywood zombies smoking too much, drinking too much, doing too much blow and boring the living shit out of the audience. That's it — I'm done. The script, co-authored by Ellis and Nicholas Jarecki, is occasionally functional but more often flat and tedious; sometimes it's repulsively stupid. It may be the worst Sundance movie I've ever seen — it's certainly one of the biggest stinkers ever to show here.

Peter Sciretta at SlashFilm doesn't even waste time in a 15 word review:

Spoiled Rich kids. Drugs. Sex. Amber Heard naked. Aids. Infidelity. Kidnapping. Unconnected. Boring. Uninteresting. Horrible.

Kyle Buchanan at Defamer says:

Intermittently, director Gregor Jordan captures that trademark Ellis vibe: dreamy surreality punctuated by bursts of tragedy that the numbed, drugged-out characters hardly know how to process. After a startling early car accident, though, the film shifts into low gear—and the removal of the book's vampire storyline means it has even less bite. "What was the point?" everyone asked in the lobby afterwards. Ellis's short stories coalesced into a meditation on mortality and meaning, but there's no theme or drive in the adaptation.

And finally, over at Cinematical Scott Weinberg adds:

Little more than a jumbled mass of unrelated subplots, The Informers is about a bunch of rich, spoiled, disaffected, hedonistic, obnoxious, ungrateful and gorgeous young people who simply do whatever they want and abuse / dismiss / mock anyone who gives them a second glance. Why anyone would want to spend 94 minutes with a crew this venal and hateful is anyone's guess, but combine their collective unpleasantness with a screenplay that "adapts" little and goes nowhere fast, and you're looking at a movie that's an absolute chore to sit through…

Boasting vacant performances from a bunch of pretty young faces (and several blank-eyed performances from veterans who should know better, such as Kim Basinger and Billy Bob Thornton) and completely bereft of any sort of POINT, The Informers is an ugly, blank slate of a film, one that feels like a rough outline for one of the better Ellis adaptations. But I suppose that's what happens when you take a bunch of short stories and just wedge them haphazardly into one exploitative mess.

I know a lot of folks got excited about the Unrated Trailer (posted below) but it looks like this is a hollow vessel and these are only the first four reviews. Senator Entertainment is set to release the film on April 10 in NY and LA, but if reviews like this continue I wonder how wide that release will end up.

The Informers stars an insane list of names including Brad Renfro's final screen appearance as well as the likes of Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Winona Ryder, Mickey Rourke, Jon Foster, Lou Taylor Pucci, Austin Nichols, Amber Heard and Chris Isaak.

Related post categories: Movie News :

Click Here to add an
Avatar to Your Account
Post #1
Gravatar

All I can say is that American Psycho was a hilarious movie. A true cult classic of satirical and violent comedy.

- Tim
( January 20th, 2009 | 8:13 pm )
Reply to this comment
Post #2
Gravatar

Damn! That trailer looked good. Too bad.

- Patricia
( January 20th, 2009 | 10:32 pm )
Reply to this comment
Post #3
Gravatar

I don't understand the fascination with adapting Ellis material. Outside of AMERICAN PSYCHO (which was much more Mary Harron and Christian Bale's accomplishment than Ellis'), all of the Ellis adaptations have been tedious examinations of vile characters with plots that go nowhere fast. LESS THAN ZERO benefits slightly from the charisma of its stars and the fact that it was, at least, of its time. RULES OF ATTRACTION was lousy, GLITTERATI and GLAMORAMA couldn't even get off the ground.

The only vaguely interesting storyline from the novel of The Informers has been cut completely out of the film – that of the 'vampire' Jamie, who was to be played by Brandon Routh. The rest of the short stories are the same old, 80's brat-packer melodrama that continues to drag down most of Ellis' work. AMERICAN PSYCHO was a huge fluke. Give up on the Bret Easton Ellis train… his characters do not translate to the screen.

- Axel
( January 20th, 2009 | 11:44 pm )
Reply to this comment
Post #4
Gravatar

Isn't this Brad Renfro's last film?

FROM BRAD: Are you asking because you didn't read the line where it says "including Brad Renfro's final screen appearance"?

- Chris
( January 20th, 2009 | 11:52 pm )
Reply to this comment
Post #5
Gravatar

"…Amber Heard naked."

This makes it for me.

- MM
( January 21st, 2009 | 6:29 am )
Reply to this comment
Post #6
Gravatar

So everyone is complaining because they made an Ellis adaptation that has all the things you would expect from an Ellis book. um….being the fourth Ellis film you would have thought they'd know what to expect….. less American Psycho, more Less Than Zero/ Rules of Attraction

Kyle Buchanan seems to be the only one with any knowledge of the source material.

Awaiting more constructive reviews

- Poke
( January 21st, 2009 | 7:43 am )
Reply to this comment
Post #7
Gravatar

I'm not surprised. Bret Easton Ellis is a horrid author. "American Psycho" is easily one of the worst novels I've ever read, and that's no exaggeration. It's tied for first place with Tom Clancy's "Debt of Honor" as the most worthless, tedious, and unnecessary pile of trash I've ever wasted my time on. The movie adaptation was better, but that's not saying much, because even though Mary Harron's hand was much more adept at telling a story than Ellis's, there's just nothing she could do for the absolute mess of an ending.

So basically, I'm stoked at the negative reviews. I've been determined to hate this project because it's inspired by Ellis, and now I'm glad to see that this hatred is justified! :D

- JM
( January 21st, 2009 | 3:53 pm )
Reply to this comment
Post #8
Gravatar

@Axel: Axel,

Glitterati and Glamorama didnt get off the ground because roger avery wouldnt let glitterati go out except for private screenings. Glamorama is still his property and i believe he is in the middle of a legal situation. He wont let it go, even though several people have tried to make offers to make the film.

And speak for yourself on rules of attraction, briliantly put together interweaving plotlines, basically followed the book to a T, and captured exactally the type of mood and nihlistic tone BEE is known for.

Brett is definitely a niche writer and his books are by no means meant for the masses. Thus his movies will always come under heavy criticism from the critics who dont understand his motives or outlooks on life. Though to some, his loyal followers and others alike, these adaptions of his works are beautiful portrayls of the sickness of society and realistic ironies that we deal with everyday.

- Randy
( January 22nd, 2009 | 2:39 pm )
Reply to this comment
Post #9
Gravatar

Well, I know I still want to see it! Who cares what everyone else is saying?! I have to see this film! Mostly, I just want to see Brad Renfro, in what I know will be an amazing performance like always, in his final film.

- katie
( January 22nd, 2009 | 8:49 pm )
Reply to this comment
Post #10
Gravatar

Its rather impossible,in my opinon, not that my opinon is more valid than anyone elses, that any novel to move translation is set to have its let downs. I feel the best adaptation of Ellis to fild was Averys R.O.A. It definetly captures the main theme of the book minus a little desperation and a dash of contempt. American Physco, the novel that is, scared the hell outta me. To those who bash it, I care not for you. If you can't see an author bleeding the brillance out of his heart then thats your (JM)problem. I'm excited for The Informers film. The book may have been reaching a bit but Ill take anything Ellis.

- seth
( February 18th, 2009 | 3:19 pm )
Reply to this comment
Post #11
Gravatar

If it's hannibal lector evil, that's first rate, but if art attempts show you the sick side of a culture, especially in a city like L.A. or New York (both of which dictate values to the rest of the country) well that's just a downer that gives you the blues.

When art presents life in disgusting ways, and you can't stomach that, well, then I will assume that you are part of the problem, even if your role is limited to looking away.

If you're not gonna make this a nice world, only to glorify in hannibal lectors cryptic killings, please shut up when an artist slaps you in the face with a not-nice worldview.

It's not a nice world. You feel helpless to do anything about it. So you blame the artist for bringing that feeling up thru your gut. Maybe that was his intention. Maybe you are supposed walk out of the movieplex feeling numb with no sympathy for a hero you want to be like, in some sort of extraordinary world.

Of course a motion picture is going to fail to make a great film adaptation of a book, but I doubt any of you read much. I could be wrong. Maybe you flew thru DaVinci Code.

All you star wars geeks with a monoply on myth, your life is so bad, you just need to entertain yourself to escape from it. Life becomes worse because you're not engaged in worldly improvement, or anything for the betterment of mankind. So you escape forever. Entertainment is not joy, you need it for comfort.

The Informers = Discomfort

Ellis may write about vomit, but he does so with more style than any couch you could pick out to sit on, while you make this great escape from yourself.

- yeah
( February 26th, 2009 | 6:58 pm )
Reply to this comment
Post #12
Gravatar

I want to see the film despite the bad rap it's getting here, for the same reason as Katie…. this is Brad Renfro's final film. I am a big Brad fan, love all of his movies, and can't miss this. Rest in peace, BRAD.

- DWC
( April 13th, 2009 | 9:27 pm )
Reply to this comment
~ PLEASE NOTE ~
If, in any way, your comment is an attack on the author of this post or a previous commenter, your comment will be deleted without question.
Leave Your Feedback
(required)
(will not be shown) (required)
DON'T WANT YOUR COMMENT DELETED?
Click to Read Our Commenting Rules & Guidelines
Follow Us On Twitter!
RSS Email
Latest Posts
Latest Video
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ~ Trailer
New Pictures
Friend RopeofSilicon on Netflix!