Cast: Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Rutger Hauer
Director: George Clooney
Producers: Andrew Lazar, Steven Reuther
Screenplay: Charlie Kauffman, based on the novel by Chuck Barris
Cinematography: Newton Thomas Sigel
Music: Alex Wurman
U.S. Distributor: Miramax Films
With Confessions of a Dangerous Mind coming hot on the heels of Auto Focus, this has not been a good year for TV stars of the '70s. Like the cinematic biography of Bob Crane, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind delves into the seedy, secret life of one of the small screen's players – Chuck Barris, the flamboyant personality who quickly became a has-been after the cancellation of "The Gong Show." While Bob Crane was addicted to sex and making amateur porn tapes, Barris supposedly was addicted to killing people. A secret CIA operative, he committed 33 assassinations – or so Confessions of a Dangerous Mind would have us believe. Based on Barris' "unauthorized autobiography," one can safely assume that the movie, like its written inspiration, exaggerates. Or, as the saying goes: Never let the facts stand in the way of a good story.
Of course, it would help if this really was a good story, rather than a mediocre one. But there's nothing terribly witty, clever, satirical, or irreverent about Charlie Kauffman's screenplay. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind tells of the rise and fall of Barris – a TV gameshow producer (he made the likes of "The Dating Game" and "The Newlywed Game") who became a recognizable personality after hosting "The Gong Show." It shows how the CIA recruited him to be a killer, then explains how he used chaperoning trips for "The Dating Game" (to unlikely vacation spots like Helsinki and West Berlin) as a cover for his spying activities. The movie attempts to liven things up by muddling the time line a little (a significant portion is told in flashback), but all that does is to mix around an otherwise linear story.
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is lighter fare than Auto Focus. Its portrayal of Barris is moderately upbeat, and there's much less of a focus on sex. Ultimately, however, this isn't a movie of great substance, nor does it offer much real insight into its subject. The movie has a little fun with the spy aspects of the story (which, despite Barris' assertions to the contrary, are almost certainly fictitious), playing them with B-movie flair, but, in the end, they seem rather superfluous, and not charming or clever enough to keep us interested. And the picture rejects the A Beautiful Mind approach of turning them into vivid delusions.
This is the directorial debut of George Clooney, and he is eager to show how much he has learned at the hands of the A-list filmmakers he has toiled under. So we get a style that is about 50% Soderbergh and 50% Coen Brothers. Sometimes it works, but mostly it comes across as too artsy, with all sorts of bizarre angles and unusual shots. Clooney frequently plays games with color, contrast, and focus. There are scenes that are black-and-white (or so leeched of color as to appear almost without hue) and others that appear intentionally colorized. Visual chicanery like this can be useful if employed for a reason, but Clooney's approach is that of a kid let loose in a candy store, and it often gets in the way.
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is blessed with a number of fine performances. As Chuck Barris, Sam Rockwell is phenomenal. This is as good a job of acting and mimicry as anyone has given since Jim Carrey essayed Andy Kaufman. Clooney gives himself the low-key role of Jim Bryd, Barris' CIA contact. Drew Barrymore is Penny, Barris' long-term, long-suffering girlfriend. Julia Roberts accepts a supporting part as Patricia, the resident femme fatale. There are also distracting, blink-and-you'll-miss-them cameos by Brad Pitt and Matt Damon (and possibly someone else whom I may have blinked and missed).
Clooney goes to great pains to identify Barris' approach to television with that of today's so-called reality shows. A newspaper headline identifies him with the "decline of modern civilization." And Barris wonders, "Who could imagine that there were so many Americans willing to make an ass out of themselves just to get on TV?" Is he talking about "The Gong Show" or "Fear Factor?" This particular avenue isn't explored, but it is mentioned.
Maybe I would be more kindly disposed where this film is concerned if I felt I hadn't seen the same territory explored in a more compelling manner by Paul Schrader. Compared to that film, this one feels out of focus. It's nice to see Clooney choosing something offbeat (as opposed to "safe") for his first outing behind the camera. If he continues to develop, he has the potential to become a good director – he's just not there yet.
© 2002 James Berardinelli