The Men Who Stare at Goats

The Men Who Stare At Goats

Is there a busier - or more popular - man than George Clooney in Hollywood right now? Barely a month goes by without Clooney's classically chiseled features gracing our screens, or his rumbling tones emerging from our surround sound speakers. He's become such a fixture at the Oscars that they can't even joke about it any more.

What's even more remarkable is the consistency of his output, and it's clear that his position as Tinseltown's top dog is due to more than just regular exposure. Whether it's Up In The Air's dislocated traveling businessman or Burn After Reading's sexually warped U.S. Marshal, Clooney is very rarely anything other than the most exciting actor on our screens.

It's little wonder that he's been dubbed the last of the great Hollywood stars. That jawline doesn't hurt, either.

In The Men Who Stare At Goats he steals the show yet again, this time from under Ewan McGregor's rather smarmy feet. McGregor is ostensibly the movie's star, appearing as the investigative journalist who uncovers a secret military organization dedicated to pioneering New Age methods of warfare that border on the insane - but it's Clooney's appearance as psychic Special Forces agent Lyn Cassady that we've all come to see.

And Clooney doesn't disappoint, spinning such entertaining quirkiness from the role that you'd be forgiven for thinking he was auditioning for another Coen Brothers film. Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey also put in memorable appearances as flakey hippie soldiers, but it's Clooney's dashing idiocy that brings the house down.

This is a movie where the performances are generally better than the material, in fact, but even the rather slight plot can't detract too much from Clooney's modern-day Jedi warrior. That job's left to McGregor, whose faux-American accent proves a constant annoyance, and whose overacting makes you wonder if he realised he was supposed to be the straight man amidst all this tomfoolery.

Still, even with the slender script and McGregor's hamminess, The Men Who Stare At Goats remains an entertaining and amusing joyride into the world of secret government projects and psychic warriors. Maybe it should have been a whole lot better - but at least we get to watch Clooney, Bridges and Spacey riffing off each other while modeling a range of spectacular wigs. Even the performing goats can't top that.

3/5

Movie Review Monday - Men Who Stare at Goats

From the moment I saw the poster for this movie I could not wait to see it. It is chalk full of actors whom I love. ie: Jeff Bridges, Ewan McGregor, George Clooney, Kevin Spacey...  you have to love them. Then I saw the trailer and wanted to see it even more. Witty dialogue, quirky humor, and truly unique premise. I thought I was in for a treat. Then it came out in theatres. I wasn't able to see it... and I didn't hear much about it.  Then I forgot about it... for a while. 

Then I walked past a redbox and saw it there, then I rented it, then I watched it. Now I'm reviewing it. 

Overall I'm going to say that it's a good movie. Maybe not quite as good as I had hoped, but still quite excellent. 

Here are the reasons it is good:

1. Great low stress acting - No super amazing acting moments, but beautifully simple and honest reactions.
2. Incredible dialogue - The dialogue is very honest and believable. It never feels forced or contrived.
3. Jeff  Bridges - This man can do no wrong in my book. He is amazing and then some.
4. Everyone else - No weak links in the actor line-up. Great to see these guys playing characters they don't normally play.
5. The Announcement at the Beginning - "More of this is true than you would believe." So awesome.
6. The Dancing - You just have to see it. It's fantastic. 

Here are the reasons I probably won't watch it again for a while:

1. The Story is About the Reporter - I understand why it had to be that way... but, (no fault of Ewan McGregors) he's not the interesting one. I was more interested in the psychic powers of the soldiers not the journey of the reporter.
2. It's Fairly Slow Moving -  Don't watch this while twittering or playing pacman... you'll get bored. Make sure there are no shiny objects to distract you.  

That's about it! Other than that it's a fantastic movie. I think I have to give this movie a 7ish out of 10... If you haven't seen it yet, do.

-Travis_

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Recommendations: Star Trek (2009), The Matrix , (500) Days Of Summer (Marc Webb, 2009)

Last updated: 2010-04-12 11:18:56 by user08

The Men who stare at Goats

A splendidly concise film which deals with a dark subject matter and adds a comical twist to it. Inspired by Jon Ronson's non-fiction bestseller of the same name, The Men Who Stare At Goats is based on some real life events that are almost too bizarre to believe.
"We're Jedis, we fight people with our minds!"

Bob Wilton (Ewan Mcgregor) is a reporter in search of his next big story and by chance hits gold and discovers a top-secret wing of the U.S military, in which he encounters the shadowy Lyn Cassady, an enigmatic Special Forces operator (Academy Award winner George Clooney). According to Cassady, the New Earth Army is changing the way wars are fought with psychic powers by passing through solid walls and killing a goat by simply staring at it. Cassady then embarks on a mind-boggling mission to find the programs missing founder Bill Django(Oscar nominee Jeff Bridges). When Wilton's girlfriend (Rebecca Mader) leaves him for his editor, it triggers him to embark on this opportunity to better himself and get a real story that will make something of him. When Wilton is refused access by the authorities to Iraq, he co-incidentally meets Cassady who helps him reach the border. Cassady then reveals his true purpose in this expedition , that in fact he's been summoned (activated) by Django to resurrect his involvement with the New Earth Army.

A rather short yet highly satirical story in which there's never a dull moment and often when there is, it's quickly defused with a clever one-liner helping to maintain the tone of the film. Much of the story is told neatly through flashbacks with narration and I have to say that the costumes, sets and the hair make it totally believable that it is actually the Vietnam-era.
The film sets the tone brilliantly with some highly comical scenes such as the dancing one wherein Bridges returns very much to his beloved Big Lebowski role. Spacey plays a well suited tyrannical yet comical leader, who (back in the 80's) calculates his rise up the ranks by tricking a member into taking LSD which ulitmately leads to the member shooting himself and Django becoming dismissed. McGregor and Clooney also display their comical sides to acting too. There's also some clever references to the actors themselves, one of which is an ironic reference to McGregor's Obi Wan Kenobi character he played in Star Wars.
A brilliantly spiritual film with a huge sense of purpose and fate.

http://robinollysays.blogspot.com

The Men Who Stare at Goats

The Men Who Stare at Goats
Starring:

George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey

Director: Grant Heslov

Genre: Comedy, War

Rated: R

When his wife leaves him reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan Mcgregor) heads to the Middle East determined to embed himself in Iraq and become the journalist he always wanted to be. While in Kuwait he meets Lyn Cassady (George Clooney) who takes him into Iraq while telling him the tales of the First Earth Battalion, the Army’s attempt to make super soldiers through the use of psychic powers.

This movie is sometimes humorous and extremely quirky it starts off with an odd sense of intrigue as we learn about the different combat techniques and paranormal skills that were utilized by the army. Through the use of multiple flashbacks we learn how and why the First Earth Army was created and ultimately abandoned, at the same time Bob and Lyn go on a Middle Eastern road trip. That includes being kidnapped and a lot of being stranded in the dessert.  Three quarters of the way through the movie loses steam and turns into a jumbled mess. Spacey and Bridges are mostly wasted with Bridges sleepwalking through his role as Django as if he were in a sequel to the big lebowski. Spacey’s character is weak and doesn’t work as the nemesis of the film.
Clooney’s Dialog is the high light of the film unfortunately that is usually followed up with a unnecessary flashback. There are multiple funny scenes that work individually but when pieced together don’t quite work. Never really committing to any one type of genre allows it to maintain its quirky sensibility however it also is its major drawback. Its like a friend who has had to much to drink it starts off funny but by the time the last of the drinks kicks in its no longer funny and just an irritant you want to go away.

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The Men Who Stare at Goats

"The Men Who Stare at Goats" is a comedy (and kind of a war movie...) directed by Grant Heslov (he wrote 2005's "Good Night, and Good Luck" which was directed by and co-starred George Clooney) The cast includes George Clooney ("Michael Clayton"), Jeff Bridges ("The Big Lebowski"), Ewan McGregor (the new "Star Wars" movies), and Kevin Spacey ("American Beauty"). It also has Stephen Root ("Office Space" and TV's "NewsRadio") in a small part at the beginning of the movie...which is great because I love when Stephen Root randomly shows up in things.

According to the beginning of the movie, "More of this is true than you'd believe"...hmm, we'll see about that. The movie centers on members of an elite military group that wants to stop war as it is conventionally done. They use their minds (rumor has it that they are psychic...a man killed a goat with his mind...so the logical next step is to now fight wars with the mind instead of weapons...) Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) is the reporter to investigate this phenomenon. His wife has left him so he goes to Iraq to investigate his story, spending some quality time with Lyn Cassady (George Clooney)...the man who said is to have killed the aforementioned goat. Also included in the psychic fun are Bill Django (Jeff Bridges) who is a leader of sorts...who reminded me of "The Dude" from 'The Big Lebowski" and Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey) who just kind of hates everyone.

The cast of the movie is great. George Clooney plays the lead character well...he's one of the best lead actors currently in Hollywood...and I'm sure his paycheck would back me up on that last statement. He had great chemistry with Ewan McGregor. This works out nicely since the the two have some intense bonding time in the desert and just about everywhere else. Jeff Bridges seems to be right at home playing a character that may or may not be all there (his character in the movie has taken tons of drugs...so he most likely is in fact not all there...but then again just about every character in the movie was at under the influence of at least a little LSD). And um...Kevin Spacey was quite the jerk in this movie, but he plays it well...so that's a success as well.

Well, this movie does take place during war time, but I'm pretty sure there was no serious parts to it...accept possibly one. Whereas "M*A*S*H" was able to be the perfect mix of comedy and drama, "The Men Who Stare at Goats" leans heavily to the comedy side of things - which is not a bad thing...I just feel like there could have been more jokes in the movie. What is there is usually funny (although a couple scenes were strange and unnecessary) so the actors were not wasted...like in "Year One"...and to a lesser extent "The Invention of Lying" and I did enjoy it more than "Funny People"...I watch a movie with the word "funny" in the title and for some reason I actually want it to be funny...but most of the funny parts in "The Men Who Stare at Goats" were in the trailer, which usually isn't a great sign. But I happened to love the trailer so the darn script writers should have tried a little harder.

The movie's pretty short so it doesn't get boring or drawn out...ahhh, like "Funny People"...comedies should never be 12 hours long...

So the movie was pretty good...nowhere near the quality of "A Serious Man"...because the Coen brothers are ridiculous and have to physically try to not make a great movie. But that kind of quality is hard to come by in the time where smart comedies are usually not made - must take too make effort. 2 1/2 out of 4 stars...and if my reviews are too long and people just skip to the rating - which is possibly because I just type for a while and see what comes out - here's the condensed version. Great Cast. Could have used more jokes. Better than a certain movie that I hate and have already mentioned twice in this review ("Year One"), but not as good as another that I also mentioned and love so much ("A Serious Man").

Men Who Stare At Goats: Loony Clooney

"Worst movie evah!" said one of the Movie Slut's friends.

Oh, really?

MS loved this flick, which brought a Vietnam War sensibility to the Iraqi conflict. How else to address the absurdities of war?

What you get here — if you choose to see this movie — is a group of guys in a special army unit that brings "paranormal powers" to the battlefield and lots of pot and hallucinogens, too. You also get loony Clooney and Jeff Bridges reprising his role from "The Big Lebowski."

If you dug the Big L, you'll groove on this flick, too. That's a promise.

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See you at the movies, The Movie Slut

The Men Who Stare at Goats

There's nothing more disappointing than a movie that starts with vivacity and confidence, boisterous brio and a rollicking joie de vivre, only to collapse in the third act under the weight of the most basic storytelling responsibilities.

Early excellence is dangerous. It promises too much.

"The Men Who Stare at Goats," from its intriguing title to a moment of teetering decision at the three-fourths mark, succeeds wonderfully.

We quickly learn the men who stare at goats are an army unit created in the seventies to explore the possibilities of paranormal warfare against our enemies, the Soviets. They stare at goats because the goat is a test animal they are trying to kill with the sheer power of their psychic energies.

Only one man ever succeeds at killing a goat with his mind: George Clooney, the one real McCoy amongst a unit of hippies and frauds.

Or is he? Most of what we know about Clooney's character -- and the army unit he belonged to -- comes from Clooney's character himself. He tells his story to Ewan McGregor's journalist, who accompanies him on a secret mission into dangerous sections of Iraq during the second Gulf War.

A series of goofy misadventures ensue, highly reminiscent in tone of last year's "Burn After Reading," the Coen Brothers' spy comedy starring Clooney. Like that movie, this one will not be to everyone's taste.

What ought to be to no one's taste is act three. Act three comprises the last thirty minutes of a movie, and it's where "Goats" falters. The precise moment where things go wrong is when Clooney and McGregor discover a secret army base hidden in the desert. This base is the surviving continuation of Clooney's old psychic unit, now being run by Clooney's old rival, Kevin Spacey.

The problem with this is: as long as Clooney's tales of walking through walls and killing goats psychically could be entertained as the possible delusions of a maniac, with only the barest possibility of their truthfulness, they were highly enjoyable. Crazy stories told with an earnest belief. But as soon as Clooney's tales are revealed to be "true," it invalidates the credibility of the movie and undercuts much of the fun we've already had.

I think the way to go would have been to keep the reality of Clooney's secret army division a mystery never solved by McGregor's journalist. I would end the movie with McGregor still uncertain whether any or all of what Clooney said was true. The filmmakers could still have their funny last shot of the movie where McGregor, back home in Iowa, tries to run through a wall.

"Goats" is three-fourths of a good movie. But the last fourth nearly drags down all that has gone before.

SCORE

HOW ACCOMPLISHED: 58/100

HOW MUCH I ENJOYED: 63/100

Super Marcey's The Men Who Stare At Goats Review

Rating: 4/5

Good title isn't it? It certainly got my attention, and I am glad it did as I had a blast with this film! It tells the story of a reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor), who wants to get 'the' story, so he travels to Iraq in the hopes of getting something on the front lines. Instead he learns about a unit in the Army that uses paranormal powers. He meets Lyn Cassidy (George Clooney), a former member of said unit and they embark on an adventure as Bob learns about the unit and the man who started it all Bill Django (Jeff Bridges). The film is based on the book of the same name written by Jon Ronson, there was also a three part broadcast to go along with the book on Channel 4 in the UK called 'Crazy Rulers of the World'. After seeing the film I need to track those down, as it tells us at the start of this film, there is actually fact behind it!First things first, this film is really funny! The script is great and the delivery is perfect, from the opening scene with Stephen Lang (Who you will know as Colonel Miles Quaritch from Avatar) where he attempts to run through a wall, to the great meeting scene between Bob and Lyn.

The casting is genius, Ewan McGregor was just great in this role, I really loved him. Being a huge Ewan fan already it is refreshing to see him in something so funny and to see him pull it off. Can't go wrong with George Clooney (there is one film from 1997 I wont mention), and he is really something as Lyn. He puts on such a fantastic performance, I loved the flashback scenes he had, going through the training, and the strange events that happened. Jeff Bridges was fantastic (he usually is) as Bill, he is teacher and mentor in the flashbacks, a real hippy, he suited the role perfectly. The chemistry between George and Ewan is spot on, they played off each other so well, I loved every second of it. Same with Jeff and George, it worked so well, I loved their scenes. Kevin Spacey was also great as the jealous Larry, I haven't seen him in a film for awhile and it was good to see him again. 

The direction was solid, I thought Grant Heslov did a really good with this and he made the script work really well. He had such a great cast to work with, it all just came together really well. Grant and George have a working relationship and it is one that works, hopefully they keep it up. I felt for the most part the pacing was really good, there were a few little drag moments but it didn't really bring the film down at all. I was having such a good time and having such a good laugh, I almost didn't notice. The soundtrack is pretty awesome, the music fit the movie so well and reflected the times of the scenes. I really liked the use of 'More Than A Feeling' and I was almost singing it after I had finished the film. It was also rather hilarious how they kept using the term 'Jedi', considering Ewan McGregor played on in three films! Loved it!

I can't imagine it would have been an easy task to make a film based on the material, it is really quirky and quite out there. But all the elements came together and it delivered, at least for me it did. I encourage people to see this film, at the very least you should get a good laugh and enjoy the performances. It isn't something to be taken seriously, and it makes you wonder if these things really, really did go on and what were they thinking? Can someone really kill a goat just by staring at it? This film almost made a believer out of me, George Clooney is rather convincing I must say! Going in to this film I wasn't really sure what to expect and it was such a fantastic surprise, I am happy I've seen it and I look forward to seeing it again. 

(Written on Feb 22 2010, first published at SuperMarcey.com)

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Recommendations: Moon (Duncan Jones, 2009), Milk, Hurt Locker, The (Kathryn Bigelow, 2009)

Last updated: 2010-02-22 03:39:05 by SuperMarcey

The Men Who Stare at Goats

     I've wanted to see "The Men Who Stare at Goats" ever since I saw Jon Ronson's interview on "The Colbert Report," although I could have sworn it was "The Daily Show."  (I LOVE YOU SARAH VOWELL!!!)
 
     "The Men Who Stare at Goats" is an odd, little dark comedy, about a secret Army program in the 1980's called project Jedi that tried to create psychic warrior monks who could prevent wars with the power of their minds.  Did I mention that this is supposed to based, at least in part, on real events?
 
     Ewan McGregor plays Bob Wilton, a recently jilted reporter who goes to Iraq to prove himself.  There he meets George Clooney, who plays Lyn Cassady, retired Jedi warrior.  Together, the two embark on a journey of self discovery and redemption that, in many ways, mirrors the Star Wars movies.  (And they borrowed heavily from Shakespeare, like everything else does.)
 
     There is a lot of subtle humor along the way, and some not so subtle, along with just enough drama to develop the characters and move the story along.  "The Men Who Stare at Goats" isn't going to win a Best Comedy Oscar (and not just because there isn't one), but it is an amusing film that fans of dark, subtle humor will enjoy.

Brian
Ciné Critique Américain

Optimum Trajectory

Greetings again from the darkness. The best I can do here is give this one credit for trying to be a little different. From the opening credits when we are told ''You wouldn't believe how much of this is true', the quasi-farcical approach works sometimes and falls flat at other time.

George Clooney begins the film at his deadpan best, but the story is so convoluted, that even he doesn't know what to do with it after that. Can't even tell you why Ewan McGregor would take his role unless he owed actor-turned-director Grant Heslov a favor. Kevin Spacey sleepwalks through another performance, though Jeff Bridges does have some fun in a 1960's style montage.

Mostly all I can say is I am confused how a film with so much seemingly going on, could actually be so boring. The story needed to take a real direction instead of bouncing around between is it a real secret spy program, or is it a film of self-discovery, or is it a parody, or is it a commentary? Some filmmakers can mesh different styles, but rather than meshed, this one was just messy.

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Vincent Snavely

The Men Who Stare At Goats (DVD Review)

Although this movie almost doesn't qualify as science fiction or  fantasy, it has enough geek appeal by nature that I knew I would  eventually see it and probably review it. And after a quick stop to a  Red Box and an hour and a half on my couch, I'm wishing I would have  seen this movie sooner!

"The Men Who Stare At Goats" is based on a true story of how the U.S.  government funded an operation to create soldiers with psychic  abilities. Ewen McGregor plays a journalist who travels with one of the  program's most successful soldiers(George Clooney) and learns about this  strange and secret world first-hand.

Like many unique movies, this film suffered from "in the box" marketing,  which presented it as a comedy. And though it has a few laugh out loud  moments, it is largely a light-hearted drama, though it does turn a  little darker toward the end.

The performances are great across the board with Jeff Bridges truly  shining as the psychic military program leader. Clooney is strange, yet  grounded in realism. And Kevin Spacey is lots of fun to both hate and  pity.

Part of what makes these characters so charming is their almost  childlike willingness to believe that the fantastical is possible and  that the absurd is real. There is a documentary on the DVD well worth  watching after the movie that features interviews with real former  members of the psychic soldier program. One of them says something very  revealing when he establishes that if you are willing to believe in  anything, without any limitations, you can discover some amazing things.  This is undeniably true and is demonstrated well in the film. The film  also demonstrates that if you keep your mind too open, your brain may  just fall out.

The characters in this movie do seem to discover some incredible human  potential. But they also end up believing some things that are  ridiculous. The movie reminded me of how important discernment is and  what can happen when we stop discerning between truth and falsehood.  It's indicated in the script that these characters all wanted to believe  they were special and that they had a purpose. (And this is very true  of all humans.) But they ultimately chose a path to fulfillment of their  purpose that involved believing some things that were not true and  their trust in those things nearly cost them their lives at times. (It  could be argued that in some cases it DID cost the lives of others.)

Many Christians choose not to discern and instead create "rules" that  the Bible does not specifically teach. (Like avoiding fantasy fiction  and abstaining from all rated R movies.) As a result they enslave  themselves, despite guarding their hearts and minds, and miss out on the  freedom Christ offers us. Other Christians choose not to discern in the  opposite extreme, like the characters in this movie. They do and  believe all things and embrace all ideas. As a result, they become  enslaved to false perceptions of reality, despite gaining some valid  insight to truth.

This movie made me imagine and hope for the day when Christians  everywhere choose to discern consistently. Imagine the insight and truth  we could discover and the kind of lives we could live if we chose to  discern in every moment of our lives.

This movie may seem a little strange to some and won't appeal to  everyone. But if a nerdy kid still lives inside you, imagining what  might be possible if we dream big enough, you'll likely find a charming,  thought-provoking movie here that you'll be glad you watched.

Rated R for language, some drug content and brief nudity.

Quality: 9.0/10

Relevance: 9.0/10

www.spiritblade.net/paeter
www.spiritblade.net/podcast

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The Men Who Stare at Goats

With a title like The Men Who Stare at Goats, one should know not to  expect much, but this film did deliver some pretty nice moments and does not  suck.

The plot was a bit out there and confusing, but just before the film’s  climax, I fell asleep and didn’t want back up until they were saving the goats.  This wasn’t because I was bored, but rather due to not getting enough sleep.

One of the funniest recurring gags of the film is a subtle toungue-in-cheek  nod to the Star WArs prequels, of which Ewan McGregor starred as Obi  Wan Kenobi. I found it a bit funny at forest, but after a while the joke got  old.

With this all-star cast, one would think that this film would be more  well-known, or could have been more believable, because for some reason, I  didn’t buy what they were selling.

I would have liked for there to have been more of a focus on the “powers”,  rather than the drama and interaction between the characters, but that’s just  me.

As I said before, I can’t give a full review on this film, as I feel asleep  during what very well may have been a crucial turning pint. However, from what I  did see, this fi;m just didn’t impress me. It seemed to be one of those that  ttres too hard to be something it isn’t. However, I would still recommend this.  It doesn’t get a ringing endorsement, but it does work for what it is.

3 out of 5

http://thankyounetflix.wordpress.com/

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Last updated: 2010-05-13 09:37:56 by MysteryMan

The Men Who Stare at Goats

The trailer for this one promised a quirky, Coen brothers-esque comedy with an all-star cast, and in many ways The Men Who Stare at Goats delivered just that. Goats tells the partly-true story of a fringe US army unit that was experimenting with non-lethal, peaceful methods of combat and conflict prevention. Codenamed 'Operation Jedi', the soldiers the program brought together – enlisted men who felt like outsiders – came to believe they genuinely had psychic and paranormal powers, thanks to the leadership of one Bill Django (Jeff Bridges), as unconventional a military man as you’re ever likely to find. But after several setbacks, Jedi is shut down and the men absorbed into the regular army.

The film's strongest comedy draw card is the inherent oxymoron of 'peaceful combat', and we're not allowed to forget the absurdity of it at any point. Ewan McGregor's journalist Bob Wilton, desperate for a story – any story – happens across Lyn Cassidy (George Clooney) in Kuwait. Drawn by a past interview in which Cassidy's name cropped up, Bob attaches himself to Lyn and tries to uncover what really went on with Operation Jedi and Django's New Earth Army; but is Lyn's account the truth, or is he simply a crazy, drug addicted washout? Director Grant Heslov (better known as an actor from roles in True Lies and The Scorpion King than for any of the three films and various TV episodes he's directed) very deftly keeps this ambiguity at play till well into the film: one minute Cassidy is amazing Bob with a Jedi trick (like cloud bursting), the next Bob is wondering how he got involved with someone as clueless as this man.

Though this ambiguity must have been present in the script, it's really down to the acting to properly convey it, and as such Heslov gets a couple of fantastic performances out of McGregor and Clooney, and many of the best comedic moments come from Bob and Lyn's hot-cold relationship, with McGregor and Clooney sharing an easy chemistry that compliments the film's comedic stylings perfectly. And it's definitely a style in keeping with a Coen sense of absurdity and "I can't believe he just said/did that". It's Burn After Reading without the shockingly unexpected death or sex humour. At least, that's the comparison that kept cropping up in my mind as I was watching. There's even a scene that shadows Burn’s hilarious exchange between J.K. Simmons’ CIA Superior and his subordinate (you know the one: “What did we learn, Palmer?”, “I don't know, sir,” etc.). Though it probably shows Heslov's and screenwriter Peter Straughan's relative inexperience to note that their version doesn't come off nearly as well as the Coen's.

Interestingly, the film has a strong anti-military undercurrent that sees Arab prisoners liberated from a US base and George Clooney apologising for corporations forcing themselves into Iraq to sell their western goods. And the point is made that the New Earth Army, for all its absurdity, at least had the admirable goal of curbing the incessant fighting that goes on around the globe.

I only really have one main criticism with Goats, and that's the cinematography and editing being really ordinary. Competent, but little more than functional, so that while Heslov handles his A-list cast well and the performances are great across the board (including a brilliantly cast Stephen Lang as a general that completely sends up his Colonel Cliché role in Avatar), there's just nothing interesting going on in terms of shot composition and the like. There seemed to be several missed opportunities in this regard, such as the Jedis' training and in detailing the camp the final act is set in. But really, you want to see this film for the trio of McGregor, Clooney and Bridges, with added spice from a deadly serious Kevin Spacey. And there's no small amount of irony in having McGregor utter lines like “Now, more than ever, we need the Jedi!”

All the elements are here for a fantastic comedy, and Goats is often very, very funny. It's just the bits in between, where it can feel like it's punching a little above its weight, that let it down. It's a great achievement for Heslov, but I can't help thinking what a more experienced director could have done with the same material.

Recommendations: Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea (Gake no ue no Ponyo), Fountain, The (Darren Aronofsky, 2006)

Last updated: 2010-02-25 08:03:26 by SethMerlo