There's something both compelling and ghoulish about The Informers. Set in the vacant world of ultra-rich Los Angeles circa 1983, we follow an ensemble of desperate, damaged souls swimming in sex and drugs, going nowhere. With Bret Easton Ellis adapting his own novel, the film convincingly recreates the sheen of 1980s Hollywood product, but it's fatally detached, missing the pathos of Less Than Zero and laughs of American Psycho. Incidentally, this is Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke's first movie together since 9 1/2 Weeks (though they don't share any scenes) and Brad Renfro's last role. It took a while to get to us---he overdosed in January 2008.