The Informers (2008) - Star-studded Ellis adaptation B.O. disaster

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A sensual sculptural reproduction of a woman's face makes up this star-studded poster for Gregor Jordan's The Informers

We follow a wealth of Los Angeles characters in the 1980s: A young group of friends following the death of one from their circle in a traffic accident. And issues of abuse, sex, infidelity, lies and superficiality.

The Informers is written by Nicholas Jarecki (The Outsider (2005)) and Bret Easton Ellis (The Arrangement (2019, short)), adapting Ellis' same-titled 1994 short story collection, and directed by Gregor Jordan (Two Hands (1999)).

We are in what is, - for the initiated, - familiar Ellis territory here, though what unifies these characters remains hazy. SPOILER The final beach-set, AIDS-themed scene doesn't really register according to plan, because the characters remain somewhat anonymous and one-sided.

The performances are good, with Chris Isaak (A Dirty Shame (2004)) and Kim Basinger (Cool World (1992)) worth highlighting. Ellis' panache and affection for the 80s also help make The Informers enjoyable.

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 17-18 mil. $ (different reports)

Box office: 384k $

= Box office disaster (returned 0.02 times its cost)

[The Informers premiered in October (Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival) and runs 98 minutes. Jarecki was set to direct, but the producers replaced him and had extreme violence and vampire elements taken out of the script. Shooting took place from October - December 2007 in California, including in Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Argentina and in Uruguay. 25 year-old co-star Brad Renfro (The Jacket (2005)) died of an overdose before the film's release. The film opened #21 to a 300k $ (78.1 % of the total gross) first and only weekend in North America in 482 theaters. It was pulled after just 3 days and only saw tiny releases in 3 other markets, each netting just shy of 30k $: Portugal, the UK and Russia. Senator's US distribution company went bankrupt as a result of the film's failure. Ellis distanced himself from the film, saying that it didn't work but that it was not his fault. Roger Ebert gave it a 2.5/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Jordan returned with Unthinkable (2010). Billy Bob Thornton (Fargo (2014-17)) returned in The Smell of Success (2009); Basinger in Charlie St. Cloud (2010). The Informers is rotten at 12 % with a 3.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Informers?

American Psycho (2000) - Harron's disappointing butchery

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The interest-building poster for Mary Harron's American Psycho with its memorable tag-line: 'Killer looks.'

Patrick Bateman is a successful New York yuppie in the 1980s, who works out, grooms himself, pays the necessary attention to his fiancée, makes lots of money ... and kills people.

For those who have read Bret Easton Ellis' (Less Than Zero (1985)) weighty and incredible, same-titled 1991 novel, - one of the most talked about books of the 1990s, - the inevitable adaptation here regrettably pales to near-nothing in comparison.
The good things about American Psycho the film, - about Wall Street narcissist yuppie/serial killer Patrick Bateman, - is its casting for one thing: Christian Bale (I'm Not There. (2007)), who fought hard and worked hard for the part, inhabits Bateman's persona quite impressively, and he is joined by an awesome supporting cast that includes, among others, Jared Leto (Requiem for A Dream (2000)), Justin Theroux (Parks and Recreation (2010), TV-series), Chloë Sevigny (The Killing Room (2009)), Willem Dafoe (Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)), and Reese Witherspoon (The Trumpet of the Swan (2001)). Put together on a fairly low budget and piled with great 80's pop tunes as well, the pedigree is not bad at all.
But pivotally, American Psycho neglects to stage the piercing societal critique and controversial, ultra-violent, and very ugly scenes of murder and mayhem from Ellis' book to the degree they deserved. This makes it something of a disappointment: Where the novel is extremely bold and transgressive, the movie seems extremely well-behaved. The producers desperately wanted an R rating for the film, and agreed to cut 18 seconds of a sex scene to achieve this; which is absurd in a film with gruesome killings, - but that's the way of the American censorship system. However, a loyal adaptation of this particular novel would have had to be released either with an X or unrated.
American Psycho is written by co-writer/director Mary Harron (The Moth Diaries (2011)) and Guinevere Turner (Breaking the Girls (2012)). While it is certainly a respectable production with a highly committed lead actor, it also plays like a safe, somewhat steely summary of a great novel.

Watch a clip from the film here; in it we witness Bateman's elaborate morning routine

Cost: 7 mil. $
Box office: 34.2 mil. $
= Big hit (returned 4.88 times its cost)
[American Psycho premiered 21 January (Sundance Film Festival, Utah) and runs 101 minutes. The adaptation had been in development for years: Oliver Stone, David Cronenberg, Leonardo DiCaprio, Stuart Gordon, Johnny Depp and Ewan McGregor are some of the directors and stars that were attached or courted at different stages. Bale actively campaigned for the part, and Harron was adamant that he played Bateman. Besides training vigorously physically, he has described that he molded his performance on, among other inspirations, Tom Cruise. Shooting took place in Toronto, Canada and in New York from February - April 1999. The film opened #7 to a 4.9 mil. $ first weekend in 1,236 theaters in North America, its peak, where it grossed 15 mil. $ (43.9 % of the total gross). Roger Ebert gave it 3/4 stars, equal to a notch better than this review. It won a 'special recognition' award from the National Board of Review. Ellis himself has described the film as "okay" and elaborated that he did not think it needed to be made. An unrelated direct-to-video sequel, American Psycho 2 starring Mila Kunis and William Shatner, was released in 2002. American Psycho is fresh at 67 % with a 6.2 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of American Psycho?