VENICE ? Matt Damon stars as a whistleblower at a big agri-business company in ?The Informant!? a black comedy based on a true story, which had the audience laughing out loud at the recent Venice film festival.

Damon had to put on 30 pounds, wear a mustache and look unusually unglamorous to play Mark Whitacre, who turns from corporate golden boy at Archer Daniels Midland to FBI informant to uncover price-fixing practices in the industry. ?It was probably the funniest time I ever had working, because I didn?t have to think, ?I have to go to the gym after work? ? I just ate everything I could see,? Damon told reporters recently.

Evidence

Dreaming of becoming a national hero and moving up the company ladder, Whitacre agrees to wear a wire and carry a hidden tape recorder to give the FBI the evidence it needs to incriminate his bosses. But, nothing is straightforward in Steven Soderbergh?s latest film, which takes a farcical twist as it quickly becomes clear that Whitacre is not as well-meaning and reliable as he seems.

?If you?re not accustomed to lying, you?re invariably going to trip up, which makes it fun to play this guy because he?s never wrong-footed. And, even if he is, for a moment, he then catches on, until someone finally says stop,? Damon explained.