On the cusp of a self-imposed retirement from moviemaking, Steven Soderbergh delves into psychological drama with screenwriter Scott Z. Burns (The Informant! and Contagion). Side Effects examine  

Steven Soderbergh, despite threats of an early retirement, continues his relentless pace with the entertaining, sneakily incisive Magic Mike, the 49-year-old director’s 11th effort since 2004 and his third in less than a year following the effective thrillers Contagion and Haywire. (By comparison, his buddy David Fincher has made nine movies since 1992.)   

Conventional wisdom recognizes that 'The Informant' is a breezy take on the case of Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon), a whistleblower from the early '90s who ratted out his global agri-business firm to the FBI. Never one to fuss over his appearance, Damon simply settles into the look and feel of his version of Whitacre and never lets us forget that the man is an unhealthy blend of intelligence, foolishness and certifiable mental instability. It's a highly informed performance from an actor at the top of his game. Grade: A.