Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
Some things are better left top secret
His future was uncertain. His every move was being watched.
When you lead two different lives, it's easy to forget what side you're on.
Television made him famous, but his biggest hits happened off screen. "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" is the story of a legendary showman's double life - television producer by day, CIA assassin by night. At the height of his TV career, Chuck Barris was recruited by the CIA and trained to become a covert operative. Or so Barris said.
| Rutger Hauer | |
| George Clooney | |
| Julia Roberts | |
| Drew Barrymore | Penny |
| Sam Rockwell | Chuck Barris |
| Jennifer Rae Westley | |
| Dick Clark | Himself |
| Michelle Sweeney | J. Sweeney |
| Chelsea Ceci | Tuvia, Age 8 |
| Michael Cera | Chuck, Age 8 and 11 |
| Aimee Rose Ambroziak | Chuck's Date #1 |
| Isabelle Blais | Chuck's Date #2 |
| Melissa Carter | Chuck's Date #3 |
| Jennifer Hall | Georgia |
| Ilona Elkin | Georgia's Girlfriend |
| Sean Tucker | Barfly |
| Jaye P. Morgan | Herself |
| Maggie Gyllenhaal | Debbie |
| David Julian Hirsh | Freddie Cannon |
| Brad Pitt | Brad, Bachelor #1 |
| Matt Damon | Matt, Bachelor #2 |
| George Clooney |
7.10 out of 10 (25336 votes)
Visitor Reviews
`On a Blind Date with a Hitman'
posted on 28 Aug 2009Into the cinema I went without the faintest idea of what this film was about, which can sometimes work; er, but not with this film.read on.Supposedly a 'true story' the film is based on the 'unauthorised autobiography of Chuck Barris' one of whom you have probably never heard of, but have watched his concepts many a time on Saturday evenings with the lovely reputable Cilla Black. Yes I do mean Blind date.The film begins with a middle-aged man who isolates himself in a flat away from the public, ex-girlfriend (Drew Barrymore) and moreover reality. Sitting at his typewriter, Chuck (Sam Rockwell) narrates how pathetic life is in general and the common thoughts of young hopefuls who dream that in ten years time they will be highly successful, but by the age of sixty, retrospectively analysing where it all went wrong. Five short minutes into the film I have already placed the film into the Drama bucket, until suddenly the camera cuts to a real-life commentary from some random woman, who obviously was acquainted to Chuck. This is shortly followed by commentary from the man himself Chuck Barris, looking like your average elderly man living next door. Somewhat bizarre, you have to give Mr. Clooney benefit of the doubt, this being his directorial debut you can hardly expect him to weigh up to the likes of Scorsese and Peter Jackson, and so I will turn a blind eye. I mean surely it cannot get any worse.The plot lightens up later, with Chuck blagging his first job at NBC as a tourist guide, and I must say this is the first stage in the film that I become impressed with Mr Clooney. In one continuous shot, the camera centres on Chuck who is grouped with a bunch of tourists being shown around the works of NBC by a girl guide, with the camera swiftly moving onto Chuck now being a tour guide himself, showing a couple around the NBC building. The shot is worked wonderfully well and is clearly emphasised through the smooth movement between the girl guide and Chuck perfected by the scripted NBC dialogue of what both guides are saying simultaneously.Chuck has bigger ambitions and in hope of sleeping with a woman at work applies for a promotion at NBC. Moving on from here, we see Chuck flying out with reality TV- Show concepts left, right and centre, all of which attract little attention from any TV producers. Chuck now laid off from work, with no one interested in his ideas for a television breakthrough is intruded by Jim Byrd (George Clooney) a CIA specialist in search of his next employee. Agent Byrd having studied Chuck all his life insists that he fits the profile to be a very good killer for the CIA and persuades Chuck to go to a special training camp, where he will learn the necessities of the CIA.Being involved with the CIA is obviously top-secret classified information and so we have the joy of watching Chuck ducking and diving around in order to prevent anyone, especially his girlfriend, sussing him out. This becomes all the more cumbersome when an ABC executive finally decide that they want to run his show 'The Dating Game.' With the intention of quitting the CIA to solely concentrate on his TV show, Chuck is confronted by Byrd who delivers an irresistible proposition. The CIA will fund couples on 'The Dating Game' to holidays in Eastern Europe and whilst the fortunate couple are having a romantic time away; Chuck will be on his latest mission plugging European Communists.The film then takes you on board a roller-coaster ride, bringing in the likes of Julia Roberts, lots of killings, terrible talentless people, freakish flashbacks of Chuck in his youth, two quick famous cameo friends of Clooney (I won't spoil it for you), and a clever little twist at the end.From an overall perspective of the film, it's really not as bad as the first five minutes would suggest. Clooney experiments with the camera and does so quite well, Sam Rockwell, unknown to me before this film, is impressive and Drew Barrymore shows she is more than just a pretty face.In time, 'Confessions Of Dangerous Mind' could well be regarded as a masterpiece. 8/10.
The Prince Of Unknown Minds
posted on 18 Aug 2009This is an interesting conversion to the screen of Chuck Barris novel about his life in which he claims to be a CIA hit-man. Actually, I credit the screenplay and George Clooney in his first directing effort for bringing a take on the material which to me is quite accurate. There is a large and varied cast and some real footage from Barris game-shows worked in for good measure and a major number of songs from the 1960's and beyond.While many viewers might find this movie has a surreal feeling, my take on the conversion has to do with the era Barris came along in. The 1960's were a time of liberation, featuring hippies and recreational drug use. This screen play gives me the feel that Chuck Barris imagines he is a CIA hit-man while he is almost certainly taking trips on these drugs. Using the pot, LSD combo of the 1960's, folks would lose weeks of their life during the abuse. That is what appears to happen here.The storyline actually works pretty well and the viewer only gets slightly lost but then is brought back from a drug induce brink. Barris claims to have murdered over 30 people as a CIA hit-man. It might be he saw that many folks over-dosed at drug blasts.I give credit to these folks for putting together a well told story. It does prove the mind can be a dangerous thing, especially when abused which by the torture shows on the screen, Barris mind was definitely abused. This film even employs a classic NewlyWed game sequence where the wife answers that the most unusual location they have ever had sex was in the .... without being bleeped. This really did happen as Gameshow Network ran the clip on a show recently.Overall, this film is well done, but the depth of the script and the who cares what happens to anyone lowers in down in my estimation. Still I have seen worse movies.
Ultimately disappointing
posted on 03 Jul 2009I had high hopes for this movie, but I'm sorry to say they were not met. It seemed to have trouble deciding if it was a comedy, a drama or something else. Other movies have walked this tightrope much better. It was competently directed, and Clooney created some good shots, but it failed to draw me or my companion into the plot. We found it hard to really care for the characters. I doubt I will bother to watch it again when it makes it to cable/satellite....
Gong! is Wrong!
posted on 21 Jun 2009I was entertained from start to finish. Maybe Clooney is trying a few tricks as a first time director, but it never seemed heavy-handed. The reviewer on the title page (George Parker) says the movie comes across as a mish-mash of sorts, lacking direction. Wasn't this a big point of the film, that Barris' life was indeed a "muddled mess" as the reviewer says? It seems to me they started watching with a chip on their shoulder that never left...... a Clooney hater from the start perhaps? Parker (our title page reviewer) says the movie "leaves us knowing less about the autobiographer than when it starts". Nothing could be further from the truth. Watch it yourself, and decide for yourself. Please don't let this title page review make up your mind for you..... Parker's review seemed to be just an excuse to write "Gong!". As far as his review goes..... GONG!
Not what I expected
posted on 17 Jun 2009I never read the book this was based on (and don't believe for one second that Chuck Barris was a CIA agent) but it can't be as bad as this movie was.
I expected something written by Barris to be sick, quick and funny. This was sick, unfunny and VERY slow. Basically, they picked the wrong writer and director for this project.Charlie Kaufman is not known for writing linear stories (look at "Adaptation")--why pick him for this? This movie could have worked if it had stayed grounded in reality, but with Kaufman's script surrealism keeps rearing its head and the movie keeps veering away from reality. Clooney's direction doesn't help--most of this is shot with grainy footage to increase the sense of paranoia that Barris is feeling. I can see why he did that but it gets annoying to watch constantly. Also the pace of the movie is much much much too slow. Things drag along and it quickly becomes very boring.
It also gives you plenty of time to think and realize how stupid the plot really is. Clooney seems the be trying to prove what an artistic director he is by keeping things slow, quiet and dark. Note to Clooney--you're not Steven Soderbergh--stop trying to act like you are.The only reason to watch this is the acting. Sam Rockwell is just great as Chuck Barris--he's no dead ringer for Barris (and his Gong Show intros don't match Barris' at all) but he still is very good in a difficult role. Drew Barrymore is also great as his wife and Julia Roberts is (surprisingly) excellent as a fellow agent. It's also good to see Rutger Hauer in action again. And having Brad Pitt and Matt Damon in very quick cameos on "The Dating Game" was fun. But the movie was dark, depressing, slow and sick. Only the acting makes this work.
Rent it
posted on 13 Jun 2009Oh I definitely advise to watch it.. but it's not worth going to Theater. This is one of those movies where there is just as much bad as there is good. Allow me to go over themGood: Sam Rockwell as Chuck Barris was well done in my opinion and I really liked itGood: The actually screenplay was entertaining and amusingGood: Gong Show Footage: I'm a gon gshow geek get over itBad: Acting from Roberts and Clooney, sorry it did nothing for me... NOTHING. Roberts in yet another roll that she should of had no part in. Clooney was okay but not great which leads me too....Bad: The directing. Good screenplay that should've gone to a more experience director, I didn't sense very much direction in this film.All and all a decent film.. that could've been better.. and deserved to be better.... all well
Absolutely Excellent
posted on 16 May 2009I just watched this movie again after having seen it a little while ago and I absolutely love it. And not just because it has great acting, or great direction, or great coloring and cinematography, or carefully planned lighting, or innovative camera work, or perfect musical choice, or subtly genius sound design, or reality based but slightly fantastic production design, or that it raises just (at least) the slightest bit of doubt about the truth of Chuck Barris' life. It's all those things combined plus one simple fact, it is a wonderfully written story. Arguably Charlie Kauffman's most "mainstream" type of screenplay, the film balances the perfect amount of humor and seriousness first starting off in a happy, funny, kind-of- hip world, and then gradually spinning into a dimension based on disappointment and a brutalizing portrayal of life. but not life in the philosophical sense of "why are we here", but simply this one man's life. Rockwell's performance is dead-on in all scenes. He has perfect timing and you buy him in every moment, both when he's the awkward butt of a joke, or the careful, introverted individual contemplating his place on the planet. Barrymore balances perfectly this obvious sense of innocence, but presents it in a way that despite the naiveté, she is actually the most human character in the film, as well as the fact that she personifies the changing times. Clooney is subtle, and plays down his star status just enough that you buy him in this role of a clandestine nature - if ever there was the epitome of a cold war spy, he would be it. Julia Roberts is fun and Rutger Hauer has this aura around him that despite his limited appearance in the film, everything just makes sense. And don't forget the absolutely hysterical, inspired performance of Robert burke. He has perfect comedic timing (note especially the speech before the Dating Game - a little nod to Paul Newman's performance in "The Verdict", along with great antics). This is a film I think deserves the rare critique of being "perfect". it may not be your favorite film, but there are no holes in the story, nothing wrong in the presentation, everything just works. it is a perfect film.
Great Idea Compromised in the Hands of Actors
posted on 14 May 2009Spoilers herein.Yet another example of why even the best actors cannot be trusted with intelligent material. They just don't have the skills required. But this is a pretty good try, better than most films in fact.Here's the setup: a man invents a role for himself in a created world; that 'self' is in show business and he creates yet another world and persona for himself. Both selves write a book from a . All three levels are shown here, all sliced and diced according to Kaufman's clever folding techniques.Clooney plays the great manipulator of one of these levels (the CIA) and is also the grand manipulator of the top level, this film. He does a great job in some respects by creating great scenes that shift from one layer or time to another. These are very clever and worth watching on their own.But it just isn't enough. Part of the problem is that Kaufman's original notions weren't followed. They moved the narrative stance into extremely strange territory with several untrusted narratives. These were ditched. The producers weren't as crazy as Barris, which is a real shame.But the other problem is that too much emphasis is placed on doing a good job from the perspective of the actors. All the scenes are shaped for the benefit of the actors, all towards clarity. Should have been shaped as a multi layered ambiguous unit, just as Kaufman envisioned.Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.
GONG!!
posted on 10 May 2009"Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" - from the pen of Chuck Barris about the life of Chuck Barris, t.v. producer/personality and self-alleged hitman for the CIA - wanders haphazardly through a muddled mess of fact and fiction; a sort of Jack of all genres and master of none. The film doesn't work as drama or comedy or action or mystery or romance or...well, it just doesn't work. In spite of the star power and talent along for this ride, "Confessions..." is not engaging, can't find its milieu, leaves us knowing less about the autobiographer than when it starts, and proves once again that actors, as a rule, should stick to acting and directors should stick to directing. I probably know a little more about Barris than the average Joe and watched with interest on the wane in spite of that. Maybe the film will play better for those who don't remember the man or his persona. Sorry, Chuckie..GONG! (B-)
A movie that was just, well...blah.
posted on 06 May 2009After being vaguely told at the beginning of the movie this is loosely based on actual events, you have to wonder how much of it was true and how much was a total crock. My guess is most of it was the latter, but who knows? This movie fit many genres; comedy, tragedy, drama, romance, autobiographical, even a bit of a thriller.The cast contained mind blowing star power which really caught me off guard. Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Rutger Hauer, Maggie Gyllenhaal...the big names just kept right on coming. I would have thought with a cast like that, it'd be pretty hard to screw this one up, but director Clooney did manage to do just that. Sam Rockwell absolutely shined, as he usually does, and really drove this movie in my opinion. But the plot just seemed so scattered to me and it never really had any sort of focus. It has its moments, but a lot of it really dragged and I found myself watching the clock to see how much time was left and that's never a good sign.I enjoyed the way it was shot with some cool camera work and it was nice to look at so the cinematography was well done. But with the actors listed on this cast, it could have been so much more. I'm glad I saw this film, but I would not ever recommend it to anyone as a rental simply because there's just way too many other movies out there that deserve to be seen long before this one.
Rubbish
posted on 06 May 2009What's this? The storyline, haha, what storyline? It's just disconnected incoherent scenes put together. Even if you paid close attention (which by the way is hard to do for this film) you won't be able to figure out much. Don't waste much time on this. I'm giving it 3/10 only because the camera work is alright (reminiscent of a Film Noir).
A delight wall to wall, forget the naysayers
posted on 04 May 2009From the moment the first image appeared on the screen, I was not only pleasantly surprised but literraly absorbed by the story, the way it was told, the way it was filmed and the way it was acted.From what I can gather from bad critic, one didn't like Berris caracter...well that was Chuck. Or that the director couldn't make up it's mind...well that's what I found MASTERFUL in the film. During the whole movie not once will Clooney force into your brain what to think. So of course I guess for people needing to be spoon fed it's annoying. That's the beauty of it, Clooney walks ON the line by design and never makes a false step. Some will pretend they know the answer etc etc.If you haven't seen the film it would NOT be a spoiler telling you (and you see this with all the debates going on) that you come up with one of 3 things 1) He is delusional 2) He wrote the story like any other novel would be written 3) He was a CIA hitmanFrankly IT DOES NOT MATTER and the sheer fact that there is so much contreversy surronding the issue is the testament of very well crafted movie from wall to wall.I was stunned by Clooney's debut as a director and like others have said he sure listened and watched very carefully the people he worked with before. This is not a good movie for a beginning director, it is a stunt for a beginning director to craft such a joy on celluloid. I did not want that movie to end. My wife and I both came out saying WOW what a nice surprise, to each other.I love movies, I see lots of them, been for 30+ years, good, ones, bad ones, ok ones and I have no "genre" bias. I love well crafted movies and this one fits the bill up on the scale.I agree with another poster that anything below 8 is (i would say) irresponsable.
`Confessions' effectively makes me fearful that those ‘70's TV days are not gone.
posted on 02 May 200970's game-show ringmaster, Chuck Barris, says in `Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,' the film adaptation of his unauthorized autobiography, "Who could imagine that there were so many Americans willing to make an ass out of themselves just to get on TV?" George Clooney, in his directorial debut, doesn't make an ass of himself, but his film is evidence of a sophomoric subject married to some freshman- like direction (such as capriciously playing with color or twisting angles). Clooney does, however, expose the asses TV has nurtured, like Chuck Barris and his audience.This is an era that also spawned `Hogan's Heroes' ' Bob Crane of recent `Auto Focus' fame; `Confessions' shows just another celebrity groping sexually and socially to adjust for childhood anxieties, leaving us with a film slightly out of focus. Clooney can't make up his mind if this is a true account of Barris's alleged role as a hit man for the CIA or an insight into the producer/host of The Gong Show, which was thought of as the equivalent of a cultural neutron bomb in its own time.Clooney has himself tepidly play a CIA operative and Julia Roberts do a sleep-inducing turn as a cold-blooded spy (the sang froid she got just right). Yet, Drew Barrymore does an effective job as Barris's lifelong ditzy love and wife, Penny.The creator of `The Newlywed Game' and `The Dating Game' should be more interesting or at least sentimental, but as played by Sam Rockwell, Barris is a nerdy Jewish boy with more ambition than class, more Barnum than the Bard. His `Gong Show' is without a doubt the precursor of modern reality TV.
That's a prize not worth taking. As the co-host of a radio show of film reviews, I have not been above low-rent jokes and inane comments aimed at titillating the audience.
`Confessions' is a wake up call to me that I could be just one in a long line of marginal entertainers like Chuck Barris, who in the end pander to the nether tastes of a rude constituency. Hamlet talks of the groundlings, `who, for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb-shows and noise.'It's all either great fun or a warning that `Fear Factor' has permanent roots in pop culture. `Confessions' effectively makes me fearful that those ‘70's TV days are not gone.
Don't miss it, this film earns a big 10!!!
posted on 20 Apr 2009"Confessions of a dangerous mind" is one of the slickest, coolest films that I have seen in recent memory. It tells the story of the professional life of television icon Chuck Barris, as he delved in a C.I.A lifestyle. First time director George Clooney is as masterful behind the camera as any of the top living directors in Hollywood. The performances of Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts, George Clooney are very convincing, but most notable is Sam Rockwell, who gives a career performance as Chuck Barris. Don't miss it, this film earns a big 10!!!
Clooney's a trite egoist
posted on 18 Apr 2009Reportedly and according to Kaufman, "Commander" Clooney the brilliant director cut a scene out of the film because he thought it was "unrealistic." Turns out, Kaufman adapted the part from actual events of a CIA operative. Can't recall the content of the scene, but it highlights how out of touch Clooney is with reality, if he thinks a buffoon like himself has the right to cut a scene from a genius like Kaufman. I would expect that Clooney butchered Kaufman's script, although that's simply conjecture. In summation, I think that Clooney is just another star that has bought into his own hype machine, maybe he should join Keanu's Reeves' band "Dogstar." Or perhaps he's better off just playing with himself, it seems to be what he's best at anyway.
An Near Brilliant Black Comedy.
posted on 04 Apr 2009A Young man by his late twenties (Sam Rockwell), who becomes a wildly successful T.V. Producer but he has a darker life. When the mysterious CIA Agent (George Clooney) asks him to be a Top Secret CIA Assassin. While a Maverick Creator of America's Favorite Game Shows gains notoriety for his Smash Television Hits. But once, he's also drawn into a shadowy world of danger as a Covert Gouverment Operative! He confuses his life with his T.V. life and as a Assassin.Directed by actor:George Clooney made a unique dark comedy that is entertaining and witty. Rockwell gives a Star Making Performance. While the Supporting Cast like Clooney, Drew Barrymore and Julia Roberts gives Terrific Performances. Rutger Hauer has a small part in the film also. This is Based on a Autobiography Novel by Chuck Barris. While we are still not sure, this is a entire autobiography of his life. As the film or in the novel, we never know if Barris was a assassin or he wrote it for fun or it did really happen. Barris will always keep it a mystery.DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an fine-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD has an entertaining commentary track by the Director and Cinematographer:Newton Thomas Sigel, Deleted Scenes with/without Commentary, The Real Chuck Barris Doucmentary and more. Since Barris'novel is a Cult Favorite and so will be the film. This is a Sharp, Funny and Irresistible movie. One of the film's executive producers is Steven Soferbergh (Nightwatch-1998, Ocean's Eleven-2001, Solaris-2002). Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman (Adapation, Being John Malkovich, Human Nature). Some of Barris' real-life colleagues as themselves. Watch for Brad Pitt and Oscar-Winner:Matt Damon in Cameos. Super 35. (**** ½/*****).
Weird fun!
posted on 21 Mar 2009(7 out of 10) "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" is difficult to pin down, since we are left on our own to sort out truth from fiction. Certainly Chuck Barris was NOT a CIA agent, but as Jim Lange points out in the movie, Chuck would disappear for a week or two at a time; where WAS he?? So since we don't know what is true, we can then only be entertained at face value. And 'Confessions' IS entertaining. This should be Sam Rockwell's breakout role. He fills Barris' shoes as well as Jim Carrey did Andy Kaufman's. Sam Rockwell is one of those actors who's willing to take risks and a variety of roles. Julia Roberts is MUCH better here in a small role than in 'Ocean's 11'.
In 'Oceans' she was sleep-walking the performance, and just having fun. In 'Confessions' she takes a better bite in a juicy part. Drew Barrymore continues to surprise me. I sometimes think she's a bit lightweight, but then she steals a scene with great acting, like when she catches Barris fooling around. She's adorable and a good casting choice in this. George Clooney...where to start? Well, he has a pivotal part as a CIA guy, but because it's so one-dimensional, many folks could have done it. So he's fine, I suppose. But what the movie comes down to is writing and directing. George looks as if he had Steven Soderberg peeking over his shoulder the whole time.
It's an excellent first-time directing job, but the problem is... where does Clooney go from here? He's pulled out so many camera, color and directing tricks, that one would hope he calms down with his next picture. And I get the feeling he really likes directing. So George, good job, but don't repeat yourself! Charlie Kaufman has written a great script, as usual. Not as audacious as 'Being John Malkovich', and not as personal and excellent as 'Adaptation'.
We have typical Kaufman flashbacks and flashforwards. But considering the source-- a 20 year-old Chuck Barris fantasy, for Gawd's sake!, Kaufman pulls it off with aplomb, keeping us interested in these strange folks from start to finish. The movie is truly laugh-out-loud funny in parts. The Dating Game bachelors killed me! It was fun to see the old game show folks. I haven't seen Jaye P. Morgan or Gene Gene the Dancing Machine in years. This is somewhat of a vanity project for Clooney, but he's made it worthwhile, and everybody really tried to make a top-notch film.
Unfortunately, because we never care ENOUGH about Chuck (we like him a lot, though), the movie will not stay with us like great films do.
Strange but brilliant style
posted on 19 Mar 2009Funny to see how Clooney, usually known as a very down to earth and classy person, tries to keep up with Kaufman, known for his bizarre scripts. I am glad he succeeded very well, and that the bizarre story was made with so much of the smoothness we usually recognize in Clooney's acting too. Really terrific.The story follows Chuck Barris, played in an excellent manner by Sam Rockwell, who used his awful TV game show as a cover-up for his CIA actions and murders. And even though I didn't really buy the strange story at first, I dared to take a peek because of all the big names in it. I was pleasantly surprised.Don't think the story is ridiculous. Even the most strange, ludicrous and bizarre stories can be formed into interesting and brilliant movies by skilled people (Kill Bill, Big Lebowski, and Eternal Sunshine spring to mind).The dialog was snappy, the acting perfect, the camera-work and visual style quite enjoyable and the pacing perfect. The only downside to the movie was that sometimes it wasn't truly clear what was real and what was not. You'll have a hard time following some of the things you see. Still, a brilliant and interesting flick that is certainly worth a watch.
A surprisingly good directorial debut, if no masterpiece
posted on 30 Aug 2009Forget about George Clooney the "ER" heartthrob - after a string of films chosen for credibility over box-office and his producing investment with Steven Soderbergh in the risk-taking Section Eight company, his directorial debut is an equally risky proposition adapting a script that "Being John Malkovich" and "Adaptation" writer Charlie Kaufman had been touting around Hollywood for a while. Actually, the book on which it based is straight up Kaufman's alley: the allegedly "unauthorized autobiography" of TV producer Chuck Barris, creator of "The Dating Game" and "The Gong Show", where he alleges to have been a CIA contract killer in-between his TV responsibilities. Whether this is the actual truth (although, as would befit such a story, no proves can ever exist) or a figment of Barris' imagination is left to your own, and this is perfect fodder for Kaufman's favourite subject: reality as opposed to illusion, what constitutes truth and lie, where do we draw the line and how far can we go with it, and how much does perception shape it. Basically, though, it's a film about a little boy lost desperately looking for a way to fit in and overcome his need for love, as effectively presented in Sam Rockwell's strong performance; the fact that it's a story about a TV personality who spent his life reaching for heights, crashing and burning and then coming back for more may have also been a factor in Clooney's choice. However, despite the script's cleverness and Clooney's great way with actors (single-handedly rescuing Rutger Hauer from B-movie limbo with a poignant supporting performance and extracting charming against-type moments from Drew Barrymore and Julia Roberts), his stylized, saturated widescreen compositions, while perfectly in sync with the general outlandish tone, are far too polished and stylish for Kaufman's unconventional script. This is as assured as directorial debuts go, but no masterpiece.