February 24, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II & IV • Page 19 Whistle-blower satire is showcase for Matt Damon by Dennis Seuling “The Informant!” (Warner Home Video) is the story of real-life Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon), an executive at a Midwestern firm specializing in corn derivatives. Mark is in charge of a unit attempting to mass produce a new product, but costs are mounting and company heads are getting impatient. Under pressure, Mark makes an allegation about overseas competitors that leads to an FBI investigation. Mark tells the agents (Scott Bakula and Joel McHale) that his company has been fixing prices for years and he believes they have set him up as the fall guy in the event the company’s illegal business practices are uncovered. Damon creates a memorable portrait of an enigmatic individual. A good 30 pounds heavier, Damon has Mark look lumpy and older in boxy suits, thin mustache, and loud ties. He speaks to his associates with intense concern about company setbacks, and with wide-eyed intensity when questioned by the authorities. Mark is the kind of fellow who is too mainstream, too dedicated to his job and family, to veer off the straight and narrow. Or is he? Director Steven Soderbergh has crafted a lean, smooth-flowing film that keeps the viewer engaged and fascinated by the Whitacre character. This is not a broad slapstick comedy, but finds humor in the way a mousy, midlevel executive manages to play people, companies, lawyers, and his own ambitions in a strangely fascinating game. The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack contains commentary by Soderbergh, four deleted scenes, and a digital copy of the film. “Everybody’s Fine” (Walt Disney Home Entertainment) stars Robert DeNiro as blue-collar widower Frank Goode. When his grown children cancel a family reunion, Frank sets off on a cross-country journey to New York, Chicago, Denver, and Las Vegas to pay surprise visits to each of them: advertising executive Amy (Kate Beckinsale), orchestral percussionist Robert (Sam Rockwell), Las Vegas dancer Rosie (Drew Barrymore), and artist David (Austin Lysy). Expecting to share in the joys of their happy, successful lives, he finds a picture that is far less than perfect. Three of his children have issues they have concealed from their father, including one secret that affects the fourth. DeNiro turns in a quiet, effective performance as a man who has left the emotional upbringing of his kids to his wife. Now aging and looking back with regret, he comes to realize how little he knows about them. The film does not have many surprises: Even a revelation about the Matt Damon stars as Mark Whitacre in ‘The Informant!’ fate of a missing child is telegraphed well in advance. Available in both DVD and Bluray formats, “Everybody’s Fine” contains deleted and extended scenes and a featurette about the making of Paul McCartney’s “(I Want to) Come Home” video. “Motherhood” (NEM Entertainment) stars Uma Thurman as Eliza Welch, a fic- tion writer-turned-mom-blogger with her own site, “The Bjorn Identity.” Putting her creative ambitions on hold to raise her children, Eliza lives and works in two rent-stabilized apartments in a walk-up tenement in the middle of otherwise upscale Greenwich Village. Eliza’s good-natured but absent(continued on Crossword page) ���������������������������� ���������������� ��������� ������������ ����������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������� Mon-Thurs 11:30-10 Fri 11:30-11 Sat 12-11, Sun 12-10 OPEN 7 DAYS Authentic Cuisine from Spain Lunch • Dinner • Cocktails �� ����������������� ��������� ���������������� ��������������������� ��������� ����� ��������� ��� ������� ���������� �������� ������ �������������� ���������� ������������������ ����������������������� �������������� ������ ������������������������ ������������ ������ ������������������������ ����������� ������ ������������� ���������������������������������� ������ ������������������ ������������������������������ ����������������������������������� ������������ �������������������������������������� ���� HAPPY ����� HOUR ������� ������������ K IRK E RS INN Sauerbrauten • Schnitzels • Bavarian Sausages Goulash • Potato Pancakes • Dumplings Spaetzel and more. GERMAN FULL BEERS ON TAP Plus Our Regular Menu • Reservations Suggested ������������������ Victoria Allen ��������������� ������������� �������������� ������������������� TOP GERMAN AMERICAN RESTAURANT IN BERGEN & PASSAIC COUNTIES � �� ������������������������������������������������ ������������������������������������������� ���������������������� BAR Open Monday-Saturday – Noon-Midnight • Closed Sunday www.kirkers.com • All Major Credit Cards Accepted 237 Diamond Bridge Ave, Hawthorne • 973-427-7700 2-24-10 LegendsSteakhouseGeneric3x6(2-24-10)