George Clooney’s directorial debut, “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” presents a great concept that seems to have deviated somewhere in the course of the creative process.
The film is based on the pop/cult memoir of “Gong Show” host and producer Chuck Barris, in which the author claims to have led a secret life as an assassin for the CIA. Such a source provided the film’s writer Charlie Kaufman (of “Being John Malkovich” and “Adaptation” fame) and director, Clooney, with ripe and flamboyant material from which to draw.
The film begins in the early ’80s as Barris, played by Sam Rockwell, stands naked and alone in a hotel room, disquieted and volatile. He reflects upon the early days of his life, as he tries to make it into the television industry. Working his way up from a studio page, he is crushed when his “Dating Game” show loses to “Hootenanny.”
One day he is approached by CIA agent Jim Byrd, played by Clooney, who proposes Chuck train to become an assassin. Barris trains and succeeds. But then, suddenly, his television career takes off when “The Dating Game” is a surprise hit. Intermittently killing for the government, he still manages to juggle his job, his noncommittal and stressful relationship with girlfriend Penny, played by Drew Barrymore, and has the hit of a lifetime with “The Gong Show.” Barris develops obsessions with the violent acts he commits and secret agent/vixen Patricia, played by Julia Roberts in an aloof and stifled, neo-noir performance.
George Clooney turns in a believable performance, but doesn’t deliver the impact of “Solaris” or “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Clooney plays Jim Bird as omniscient and enigmatic. Deep Throat. Drew Barrymore’s portrayal of Penny wavers and dies eventually. Barrymore fails to inject any remnants of depth into her character, projecting only a weak masochism and vulnerability into this potentially shattered character.
The film’s standout performance is Sam Rockwell as Barris. Rockwell fills his character to the brim with geeky ambiguity and menacing sexuality. Also a strong presence in “The Green Mile” as the deranged psychopath Wild Bill, Rockwell is a promising young actor with an intense, unique style and a homely attractiveness. Baton Rouge native and Oscar-winning director Steven Soderberg produced “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” and there is reason to believe he contributed a great amount to its direction. The film’s cinematography abounds with skewed and innovative shots, using a neon-hued color-scheme, characteristics of Soderberg’s work.
Soderberg has become a major figure in a new Hollywood rat pack. Along with Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, David Fincher, Julia Roberts and others, Soderberg has become a part of a Tinsletown elite that produces films of a consistently good quality.
Though “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” remains unfulfilled in many respects, it is still a satisfactory and compelling piece of cinema. Whether George Clooney should continue to dabble in directing is questionable.
The film lacks in overall suspense and dramatic push, but is stylistically vivacious and assertive enough to recover from this setback. The film’s unique pacing is a large asset, with its whimsical narrative and staccatoed editing recalling Scorsese.
“Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” does miss the boat though, not dealing enough with the ethical issues of Barris’ murders or showing his days in the television industry with enough realism. The film is a notable but incomplete effort.