The Informant-Matt Damon


Director-Steven Soderbergh


SEE.



And you wonder how we got in a global financial crisis with so many superintelligent people at the helms of the banks and financial industries. Apparently, there are two types of people in the world-really clever liars and the poor saps who believe them. Dear Lord, why are pathological liars so smart and normal law-abiding citizens so dumb? If I start lying uncontrollably will I improve my intelligence and my ability to steal money? I'm gonna give it a shot and see what happens. Stay tuned. I'm getting ahead of myself. This film tells the story of Mark Whitacre, a real-life executive at Archer Daniels Midland in the 90s, who blows the whistle on the company's worldwide price-fixing scheme (the world's third oldest profession apparently) whilst trying to cover up his own embezzlement schemes. The freakin' FBI didn't catch on to him even when they caught him in lie. They still trusted him, and they don't even trust each other. Mind-boggling that the planet has survived this long with this sort of idiocy afoot. Pathological lying can apparently be a symptom of bipolar disorder (Yes. Mr. Whitacre suffered from it.) Jeez, think how many people on Wall Street could potentially be suffering from bipolar disorder. Sometimes, I think life just gets so dull that it must be constantly embellished upon to engender the sympathy or attention which we desperately crave. (Nooooo. Why would I be talking about myself???? Silly!)




How do you know if you're a pathological liar? Number 1) You tell people you were orphaned and then adopted by a man of means even as you continue to funnel stolen money into your still living parents' bank account. 2) You delude yourself into thinking that despite embezzling from and then turning your company into the FBI, the board may still hire you as CFO. 3) You tell your wife she looks nice. It was the '90s! Only a fraction better than the '80s, and believe me, nobody looked nice. Get help! Here's the thing people. The Informant! serves as a critical reminder. First, that neck ties in the '90s were awful. Second, that what's happening to us now in the financial ruins of Wall Street has been happening for decades. Ponzi schemes, price-fixing, unbridled greed. History just keeps coming back on us. It's wake up time. people!




EAT.


"Four white guys meeting in the middle of the day isn't a business lunch, it's a crime scene."

-James Epstein (Tony Hale), attorney for Mark Whitacre.

Maybe, we should skip lunch.


SHOP.


Um. Lying is bad. We shouldn't lie ;). We should all be good people. NEEEEVER LIE. Definitely do not go to this website to learn how to be a better liar. (Unless you really want to.) ;)http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/lie/lie.html.