It seems lately there are a slew of actor-turned-director films in theaters.
Denzel Washington has stepped behind the camera for "Antwone Fisher," Nicolas Cage's directorial debut "Sonny" has yet to play here (and probably won't even darken the cinematic door) and former "ER" heartthrob George Clooney's wonderfully off-kilter and subversive "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" is perhaps the most unconventional of the three.
Working from a Charlie Kaufman screenplay (is there ANYTHING this guy hasn't written lately?), Clooney proves that his repeated teamings with Steven Soderbergh and the Coen brothers have not all been for naught.
Possessing a sure directorial hand and kicky visual flair, Clooney's adaptation of the "unauthorized" Chuck Barris autobiography is effortless tragicomedy with a distinct kick.
Barris, for those scratching their heads, is the brains behind such kitschy TV shows as "The Gong Show," "The Dating Game" and "The Newlywed Game." The twist comes in that during this late '70s stretch of programming, Barris was also involved in doing freelance contract killing for the CIA -- or so Barris says.
Sam Rockwell has the role of his career to date as the lecherous, scheming and manic-depressive Barris. The film, begins near the end of Barris' tale in New York City and then flashes back to chart his early rise through the ABC ranks, including his brief flirtation with pop music success (Barris actually did write Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon's minor hit "Palisades Park" in the '60s) and his first, abortive attempts at creating "The Dating Game."
Barris, whose luck with the ladies can be charitably called "streaky," meets Penny (Drew Barrymore), a happy-go-lucky hippie who unabashedly falls for the oddball Barris. Their relationship blossoms, but not before Barris is approached by Jim Byrd (Clooney), a stoic CIA operative with the offer of good money for killing "bad" people. Ever the slickster, Barris takes Byrd up on his offer and soon finds himself mired in shady double-dealings with government agents.
Barris' double life begins to leech his sanity from him as his two worlds begin to blend in increasingly dangerous ways. As the pressure builds, Barris begins to crumble and he soon is faced with a no-way-out situation that threatens to destroy everyone he knows.
Did he or didn't he? That's the central question in "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" and the film ultimately leaves it up to the viewers to draw their own conclusions.
Demonstrating a quirky visual flair, excellent command of the widescreen canvas (thanks to cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel) and rocksteady control of narrative that many veteran directors would be hard pressed to summon, Clooney's inaugural outing behind the camera is impressive.
All the flash and pizzazz would be useless without his crackerjack cast -- Rockwell and Barrymore both are flat-out stunning in their roles and Clooney provides snide support as the been-there, done-that Byrd. Julia Roberts and Rutger Hauer both fill in their minor roles as CIA operatives beautifully.
"Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" is far from the traditionally "safe" projects that many first-time actor-turned-directors tackle and is the richer for it. "Confessions" is a definite don't-miss.
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