Thriller’s Unconvincing Heroes Miss the Mark

Read Time:3 Minute, 17 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Confidential Informant
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Genre: Thriller
Year Released: 2023
Runtime: 1h 28m
Director(s): Michael Oblowitz
Writer(s): Michael Kaycheck, Michael Oblowitz, and Brooke Nasser
Cast: Dominic Purcell, Mel Gibson, Nick Stahl, Kate Bosworth
Where To Watch: available On Demand and Digital June 27, 2023, and in Select Theaters June 30

RAVING REVIEW: Director Michael Oblowitz dips his toes into the murky waters of narcotic law enforcement with CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANT. This film sets up a potentially thrilling ride but ultimately swerves into a maze of disjointed scenes. While the ensemble cast features established actors, including Mel Gibson, Dominic Purcell, Nick Stahl, and Kate Bosworth, the plot needs more coherence to deliver a solid thriller, leaving viewers navigating a maze of narrative missteps.

Center-stage are two accomplished narcotics officers, Tom Moran (Dominic Purcell) and Mike Thorton (Nick Stahl), navigating the grimy underworld. Their perilous journey is akin to soldiers' challenges on the battlefield, a theme that Oblowitz tries to emphasize, but the movie fails to merge these parallel universes convincingly.

Through the eyes of DEA agents, CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANT pulls viewers into a volatile reality where erratic moments can wreak havoc on operations. While the film's visuals effectively underscore the inherent perils, the narrative loses grip on this scary reality, making it hard for the viewers to stay invested. I can’t help but point out the more significant issue of making law enforcement look like the victims here. No matter how you look at them, this film stretches that perception to its limits.

With an unexpected and honestly somewhat confusing twist, that triggers a risky scheme around potential death benefits for officers who die in the line of duty. The plan spirals out of control and catches the eye of an eagle-eyed Internal Affairs agent, pushing Officer Learner (Russell Richardson) to unearth the unsettling truth. There needs to be more than this narrative curveball to keep the audience anchored due to the weak storyline and lack of clear direction.

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANT stumbles on the auditory front. Critical dialogues are often eclipsed by an overbearing soundtrack and disruptive sound effects, causing an unsettling imbalance and detracting from the cinematic experience. Despite the stellar cast, the movie must leverage its potential. Purcell's portrayal of Moran needs more depth, and his on-screen chemistry with Anna (Kate Bosworth) feels artificial.

Yet, CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANT does have a few bright spots, keeping it from being a total loss. The film's cinematography captures the essence of urban decay; although sparse, the action was well done too. Moreover, the narrative's attempt to grapple with themes of corruption and deception injects some much-needed depth into the story. Sadly, the movie's predetermined plot around police corruption zaps the mystery and suspense, with Learner, the truth-seeking officer, ironically morphing into the film's antagonist.

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANT's promise is lost amidst fractured storytelling, lackluster performances, and a disturbing auditory experience. The narrative's implication that corruption stems from low police salaries feels misplaced, considering the substantial paychecks of seasoned officers nationwide. Gibson and Purcell's performances add little to the story, while Stahl delivers a commendable act, especially given his flawed character.

Despite its ambitious undertones, CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANT struggles to rise above being a lukewarm ensemble of unsympathetic characters strung together in a disjointed plot. Its unconventional portrayal of flawed officers as heroes and an expectation for the audience to empathize with them restricts the narrative to a narrow audience base.

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[photo courtesy of LIONSGATE]