The Informant! (2009)

Based on the book by journalist Kurt Eichenwald and directed by Steven Soderbergh, this is a biographical comedy-drama about Mark Whitacre, the whistleblower in the lysine price-fixing conspiracy of the mid-1990s. 

The story is fascinating and Matt Damon is watchable in the lead role. What spoils it is the deliberately “cheesy” tone achieved by Soderbergh, who applies irritatingly chirpy and “comedic” music to nearly every scene. I’ve never known music to be more poorly judged or matched to a film. It only underscores that the story and situations we see unfolding aren’t particularly funny. The Informant! (why the exclamation mark?) could have been far more compelling as a straightforward biographical drama.

The same corny stylings ruined Ocean's Eleven, too, so I’ve come to conclude that this director’s work simply isn’t for me.