Review: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

Sam Rockwell stars as Chuck Barris, kind of a horny loser sleazebag who works his way up the TV ladder to become the producer/creator of 60s and 70s TV shows like “The Dating Game”, “The Newlywed Game” and eventually “The Gong Show”. However, this film suggests Chuck had a double life around this time. He meets the shadowy Jim Byrd (George Clooney), who offers him a job as a CIA hitman! Before long he is accompanying “Dating Game” contestants on their free trips…so that he can take care of ‘business’. Drew Barrymore plays Chuck’s loyal wife, Rutger Hauer plays a hard-drinking German spy for ‘our’ side, Julia Roberts turns up as a CIA op even more shadowy than Byrd, Krista Allen plays the hot chick who humiliates Chuck in the grotto of the Playboy mansion, and Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Barrymore’s roommate whom Chuck was dating before falling for Barrymore. Various familiar contemporaries of Chuck provide ‘talking heads’ commentary from time to time.

 

Although not his best film as director, this 2002 directorial debut by George Clooney (“Good Night and Good Luck”, “The Monuments Men”) is a pretty whacked-out ‘strange but true…ish’ story, so much so that it kinda wastes the talent of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (“Being John Malkovich”, “Synecdoche New York”, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”). The story is already insane enough, what more did Kaufman (who says Clooney made a number of changes to his script and wasn’t happy with the outcome) need to add? Based on the allegedly autobiographical book by the real-life Chuck Barris (I’m in no position to say whether it truly is autobiographical or not, some doubt it and the CIA deny Barris ever worked for them. Would they ever admit it if he did?), it’s a one-of-a-kind story turned into a pretty decent, if overrated film.

 

I think it improves with subsequent viewings, where the frankly off-putting Barris is less of a shock and easier to put up with, perhaps. In fact, seeing the film again I felt that the unconventionally sleazy choice of protagonist, combined with the simply crazy story was the film’s chief strength. Say what you will about Chuck Barris, but as depicted here he’s certainly not boring company. Sam Rockwell doesn’t look like Barris (any more than Greg Kinnear looked like Bob Crane in a slightly similar biopic “Auto Focus”), but is otherwise perfect, especially in playing the game show producer/host side of the character. It’s probably his best-ever showcase as an actor, as he really is the whole show here. Drew Barrymore is her usual brilliantly adorkable self here, even if I’d rather spend more time with the wonderful Maggie Gyllenhaal, who has only a minor part here. Still, Barrymore steals her every moment on screen, as does the highly underrated Rutger Hauer in a too-small part as a drunk German spy. Inspired casting there. He’s really good as the world-weary spy on the right side of things, who has an especially good scene where he talks about how it feels to kill. Clooney himself gives a slightly arch performance, but fun nonetheless. He’s just a bit of a put-on. Look out for a very funny performance by “Dust Devil” star Robert John Burke as a TV censor who warns “Dating Game” contestants to behave themselves. He plays it like he’s a McCarthy underling. The film’s funniest gag, however, involves the cameos by two of Hollywood’s most attractive leading men pretending to play “Dating Game” contestants who get passed over for a total schlub. The one downer in the acting department is Julia Roberts, who gives a heavy-handed performance in a role she’s simply miscast in. So forced is she that she actually ruins one aspect of the story that I for one will not spoil, even though she does. She’s self-conscious in a role that is presumably meant to be taken seriously. She may be your friend, Mr. Clooney but she does your film no favours whatsoever.

 

The other aspect to the film that I was not enamoured with was the photography by Newton Thomas Sigel (“The Usual Suspects”, “The Trigger Effect”). The first time I saw the film, I was just as impressed with it as anyone else. On second viewing, I find it an unwanted, wanky distraction and believe Mr. Clooney would probably agree if he ever re-watched the film today. I love me some pastel colours, don’t get me wrong, but for the most part, the colour trickery on show here mostly had me wanting to change the settings on my TV and was to no real advantage of the film. The name-dropping of aunt Rosemary Clooney clues you into the fact that Mr. Clooney is obviously familiar with this world (his dad was a director of game shows), and I rather liked the device of inter-splicing talking heads of familiar faces from American TV of the era like Dick Clark. It sets the film apart, blending a traditional dramatic narrative with a bit of documentary in a manner that is surprisingly not too jarring.

 

It’s a unique and compellingly crazy story, but how much of that speaks to the film and not the book on which it is based? Certainly, the story is the film’s biggest asset, though Rockwell, Barrymore, and Hauer are top-notch. Repeated viewings seem to work in this one’s favour, given Chuck Barris is a creepy loser who is hard to take at first. I enjoyed this film, but I wouldn’t say that I’m anywhere near its biggest fan. Worth a look, though, especially if you love Sam Rockwell.

 

Rating: B-