"The Men Who Stare at Goats" review.

[CTyankee]

I knew next to nothing about this movie when I decided to see it yesterday. So I had no preconceived ideas. But I like to see good actors work and I like to look at George Clooney, so nuf said.

It is based on a nonfiction book about U.S. Army experiments in paranormal military tactics but you really don't know how much or exactly what the Army actually experimented in.

To me, this is an antiwar film. It has the screwball nuttiness of such films as "Catch 22," "Dr. Strangelove," and "M*A*S*H" with some 3 Stooges bits thrown in. There are some pretty funny moments and some kinda scary ones too (the shootout in the Iraqui market place). There is one horrendous scene of a lone shooter at an Army post, really shocking given what just happened in real life.

The acting was superb: Ewen MacGregor and George Clooney playing hapless fools, Kevin Spacey playing a really nasty guy, and a wonderfully wacky Jeff Bridges (the sight of him in full military regalia with his long gray hair in a braid worn over his chest is marvelous Theater of the Absurd).

The problem is that this thing wanders, starts new story threads again and again, and appears aimless. It just gets bogged down in silliness, even tho there are some fine comedic moments such as George Clooney demonstrating "Sparkly Eyes."

So I wonder if this film could have been helped with more of a deft hand, slimmed down and more focused. It could have delivered a more powerful message if it had been.

[rurallib]

1. I liked it.

Had no idea what to expect walking in. I was taken by the absurdism about a quarter of the way through and rolled with it.

[CTyankee]

2. I can only wonder how much fun those guys had making that movie!

They have great chemistry with each other. I liked the Stooges stuff between Clooney and MacGregor. Absolutely loony...

[Orsino]

3. "Bogged down in silliness..."

I dunno. That sounds like it could be a good thing. :shrug:

I had wanted to see this based on the trailer...but Salon seems to agree with your opinion.

[lost-in-nj]

4. I saw it to...

maybe I should go back and see it again because the only things I found funny were the scenes they showed on the trailers. Thats why I went to see it.... thought it would be funny. But to me it wasn't.
I didn't totally hate it either, it just wasn't what I thought is funny.

oh well..... :)


lost

[trof]

5. Another review:

First, run — do not walk, do not pass Go — to the theater to see “The Men Who Stare at Goats.” Films that are both hilarious and intelligent, provocative yet madcap, are hard to come by.

And because this film teaches us, in a wildly entertaining manner, about recent military and intelligence history, I have a feeling certain people will work hard to rush this movie right back out of the theaters. So see it before showings of it, like some of the characters in the film, disappear.

The film presents a largely fictitious story based on all-too-real projects and programs conducted by various agencies of the government. Very little of it is literally true, yet many of the stranger events in the film happened in a manner similar to the one portrayed.
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2009/111609a.html