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Two out of Five stars
Running time: 98 mins

The Informers has a certain amount of curiosity value and it's extremely well acted throughout, but none of the characters are particularly appealing and it ultimately fails to engage on an emotional level.

What's it all about?
Directed by Gregor Jordan and based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, The Informers is a multi-character drama that takes place in 1980s LA.

The various characters include: movie producer William Sloane (Billy Bob Thornton), who attempts a reconciliation with his ex-wife (Kim Basinger) after his relationship with newscaster Cheryl Moore (Winona Ryder) comes to an end; William's hedonistic son Graham (Jon Foster), who spends his days doing drugs and having threesomes with both his girlfriend Christie (Amber Heard) and his best friend, Martin (Austin Nichols); Graham's friend Tim (Lou Taylor Pucci), whose estranged father (Chris Isaak) whisks him off to Hawaii for a disastrous bonding session; Graham's doorman Jack (Brad Renfro), who gets more than he bargained for when his sleazy ex-con uncle Pete (Mickey Rourke) blows into town; and British manager Roger (Rhys Ifans), who has his hands full with pop star Bryan Metro (Mel Raido).

The Good
To be fair, there's a certain amount of curiosity value to be had out of The Informers – for example, it's Brad Renfro's final film, it reunites 9 1/2 Weeks stars Rourke and Basinger (sort of – they don't have a scene together), Amber Heard spends much of the film topless and Winona Ryder is in it. In addition, the performances are excellent, particularly Rourke, Renfro and Pucci, while Ifans gets the films only witty lines as beleaguered manager Roger.

The Bad
The problem is that none of the characters are particularly likeable or engaging, so what happens to them is ultimately uninvolving. Similarly, some of the strands feel either unfinished or anti-climactic, while the likely reaction to the film's final scene is, 'Is that it?'

Worth seeing?
The Informers is just about worth seeing for the performances but it fails to deliver on its hedonistic premise.