The Men Who Stare at Goats

Starring: George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Lang, Robert Patrick, Rebecca Mader
Directed by: Grant Heslov
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, War
2009

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A journalist (Ewan McGregor) in the Middle East meets a strange man (George Clooney) claiming to be an ex-military psychic spy and decides to write a story about him. As the two journey into Iraq, the story becomes increasingly bizarre and borderline crazy.

Review:

Tim: I really understand why The Men Who Stare at Goats was not as well received as it would have liked to be. This is an unconventional, different movie that has a tendency to turn people off. It is easy to claim that this a movie about nothing that doesn't really go anywhere. It is easy to dismiss this movie as a bizarre, lightweight movie. However, I think it is anything but that. I found this to be a hilarious, intelligent comedy about mostly true events that are simply beyond belief. This isn't a movie for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed the humor, the impressive cast, and the movie as a whole. I admit I wasn't too excited going in- but I was thoroughly enthralled from start to finish.

I couldn't believe how funny this comedy proved to be. I found myself laughing out loud and over and over throughout this movie. The jokes here are very intelligent ones- the kind of humor that can easily go over most peoples' heads, but the kind of humor you are proud to laugh at. This isn't a slapstick comedy where the few laughs it does generate make you feel guilty for laughing- this is a funny movie that relies on intelligence and wit to make the audience laugh. I loved that. I loved the quiet, subtle humor of this film.

I also really enjoyed the cast. Can you think of four better actors for a movie than George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Ewan McGregor, and Kevin Spacey? Clooney is truly a star, and I love that he doesn't make the safe career choices. This was a bit of a risky move, as this is such an unconventional, different movie. He is just hilarious in this movie. I loved every word, action, and look he gave. He is impossibly charismatic, and I thought he was excellent here. I also loved Jeff Bridges, in a slightly smaller role. He was hilarious as well, and his line denying prostitutes and well, the prostitutes is one of my favorite moments of this film. He is a terrific actor, and a big boost to this film. Ewan McGregor was excellent as well. In a movie with so many larger-than-life characters, McGregor more than holds his own as the straight man. He accounts for a number of the film's laughs, and I loved that he was able to be funny as well. McGregor is a terrific actor, and I loved the chemistry between he and Clooney. Their relationship was one of the highlights of the film. Rounding out the big four, it was nice to see Kevin Spacey here, although I wish he had more to do. He felt a bit out of place, and besides the automatic boost a movie gets by having Kevin Spacey in it, he added very little to the overall movie. Still, his presence was a welcome one.

The Men Who Stare at Goats was a refreshingly different, unique, crazy little movie that had me laughing and truly entertained me. I definitely hear many of the complaints, and I agree that the final scene was a bit unneccessary. However, despite a few flaws, this is still a wildly entertaining, enjoyable movie. I truly had a fun time watching it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



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Up in the Air, O Brother Where Art Thou, Three Kings, Black Hawk Down