» Column:
Comedy meets fantasy in 'The Men Who Stare at Goats'

Published Nov. 13, 2009

There is no denying it: In one way or another, everyone wants to be a Jedi. Although most of us are content to keep this desire hidden, an American military venture in the '70s went about producing true blue Jedi Knights. Or so "The Men Who Stare at Goats" claims, promising to be "more true than you would like to believe."

In this absurdist farce, George Clooney teams up with Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey to lend charisma and prowess to a vaguely spotty film. Despite a few narrative-related setbacks, the outlandish nature and fun performances of "The Men Who Stare at Goats" overcome the film's missteps.

Grant Heslov, who most notably wrote "Good Night, and Good Luck," picked up the task as director. Heslov attacked the film with a deft deadpan manner, and instead of attempting to heighten the onscreen antics with production tricks, he allowed the material itself to be funny. This thought process continued with his casting of actors who are mostly known for their dramatic work. Heslov and these "serious" actors ground the film's wildly unbelievable plot with sincerity.

Perhaps the single most important thing for "Goats" is the deliciously off-kilter performances. Naturally, Clooney steals the show as First Earth Battalion member Lyn Cassady. Clooney balances his uproarious character with grizzled honesty. Although the audience might see Lyn as slightly insane, we never doubt he fully believes in his psychic powers.

The terminally underrated Bridges shows up as the equally riotous founder of the New Earth Army, Bill Django. Although Bridges' performance leans on the hammy side toward the end of the film, his natural earnestness endears him to the audience. In contrast, Spacey's sly portrayal of attention monger Larry Hooper is sealed with pokerfaced sliminess that allows his actions to speak louder than his words.

Unfortunately, not every casting choice was the right one. As much as this physically pains me to write, McGregor was not exactly cut out for the role of journalist Bob Wilton. For the most part, McGregor lacked the comedic timing needed for the role, often on reaction times or punch lines. This was simply exacerbated by McGregor's spotty American accent that was continuously broadcasted in voice-over.

"The Men Who Stare at Goats" is based on a Jon Ronson's 2004 book of the same name, but the film was adapted to the silver screen by Peter Straughan. Straughan's only other film of note was last year's irreverent and forgettable "How To Lose Friends & Alienate People." These two films share particular brand of ridiculous comedy that resonates through his scripts, but after watching "Goats," it is clear Straughan still has room for improvement.

The film's message of "believing might just be enough" often got lost within the larger-than-life characters. When the film attempts to delve into this, the point is often tangled within the fact we do not ever find out if Lyn and Bill were honest-to-God Jedi warriors. This could be seen as artistic, but the ending directly conflicts this ideology.

Regardless of its muddled philosophical statement, "The Men Who Stare At Goats" is a once-in-a-lifetime tale you must see to believe.