MOVIE - CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND - Review Rating $$$$$ $$$ (OUT OF 10)
STARRING - Sam Rockwell (Chuck Barris), Drew Barrymore, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Rutger Hauer & Joe Cobden (The Unknown Comic).
DIRECTOR - George Clooney (directorial feature debut)
SCREENWRITER - Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich & Adaptation)
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is based on the "unauthorized" biography of Chuck Barris written by Chuck Barris.
Chuck Barris was the creative mind behind such T.V. shows as The Gong Show, The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game. Wildly popular, at the time, the shows and Barris became the poster children for the notion that American society was in a rapid state of decline. Barris, and others, believed the success of the shows was based on tapping into a previously unexplored portion of the viewer's psyche, the urge to laugh at anyone willing to submit to public humiliation in the hope of winning a brand new Amana fridge. While this was/is a relatively repugnant aspect of human nature it is nevertheless a reality. In many ways Barris was ahead of his time in recognizing this phenomena. His shows, which exploited both the contestants and the audience, pale in comparison to the crassness of the surge of Reality T.V. programs we are currently inundated with.
Some innovators relish the accompanying infamy. Others seek accolades and recognition. Barris appears to be the latter. Barris, having not achieved the status sought, has instead cleverly co-opted the harshness of the critiques into his life story.
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is meant to reaffirm our suspicions about Barris's true nature and exploit our curiosity at the same time. The irony is, that in the process, Barris is once again proving his hypothesis about human nature. Those who despised him, as a cultural savage, will no doubt take comfort in this less than favorable portrayal. The degree of his debauchery being such that the CIA would recognize in him the qualities necessary to be a successful assassin. Those who don't know him, the post-watergate, X-files conspiracy generation, will be lured to movie theaters and generate chat room debates regarding the veracity of officials denials of his activities. Barris is revitalizing his cult status and getting the last laugh.
The performances in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind are all excellent. Sam Rockwell, in particular, does a masterful job of conveying the depths of Barris's convoluted psyche. Drew Barrymore was perfectly cast as a flighty, but lifelong love interest. Hauer, Roberts and Clooney round out a great cast.
Clooney, who won a Special Achievement in Film making Award (2002 National Board of Review), should once again be praised for being the driving force behind yet another risky but entertaining project. He is simply unafraid of spending his star capital in the name of bringing diverse, offbeat and challenging stories to the big screen. The juxtaposing of documentary-stlye interviews, with reenactments of Barris's life story, provides just the right mix of the fantastic with the real in Clooney's feature movie directorial debut.
As with Solaris, Clooney's last project, you will either admire Confessions of a Dangerous Mind or be repulsed by it. It is not for everyone. Despite Barris's obvious genius he remains a figure that is not universally admirable. Barris's true personality, even with the excesses discarded, is an acquired taste. You will only appreciate Barris, and the movie, if you recognize both for what they are.
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, a very well crafted film, is for those who "get" the irony of the premise. I highly recommend it.
Alternative Reviews:
Roger Ebert's Review
Private Joker's Review
Rotten Tomatoes Reviews
Official Website
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© Copyright
2003
David Schwartz.
Last update:
8/9/03; 11:07:07 PM.
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