Not quite as brilliant, quirky or insightful at it might have been or as some would like, the film nevertheless kept me interested and entertained most of the time.
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:158
Fresh:124
Rotten:34
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: Rockwell is spot-on as Barris, and Clooney directs with entertaining style and flair.
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: George Clooney makes his directorial debut with this frenetic, visually dazzling black comedy. Based on notorious television producer Chuck Barris' "unauthorized autobiography," Clooney's film... George Clooney makes his directorial debut with this frenetic, visually dazzling black comedy. Based on notorious television producer Chuck Barris' "unauthorized autobiography," Clooney's film reinforces Barris' outlandish claim that he lived a secret life as a hitman for the CIA. Sam Rockwell stars as Barris, a fresh-faced dreamer who moves to New York to find success in television. Pretty soon, he's written a hit song ("Palisades Park"), has shacked up with the ultra-peppy Penny (Drew Barrymore), and has his first successful game show, THE DATING GAME. But as if that weren't enough excitement, he is soon recruited by CIA Special Agent Jim Byrd (Clooney) to become a hired killer for the federal government. As Barris' subsequent shows (THE NEWLYWED GAME, THE GONG SHOW) take off, the conflicted producer uses them as a front for his undercover job, chaperoning winning couples all over the world while performing his deadly duties after hours. Along the way, he meets a shady cast of characters--including a sultry assassin (Julia Roberts)--who threatens to blow his cover and ruin his television career forever. Adapted by the daring and mischievous Charlie Kaufman, Clooney's film features yet another electrifying performance from Rockwell (LAWN DOGS, SAFE MEN). [More]
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts, Sam Rockwell, George Clooney
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts, Sam Rockwell, George Clooney, Rutger Hauer, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Director: George Clooney, Steven Soderbergh
Director: George Clooney
Screenwriter: Charlie Kaufman
Producer: Andrew Lazar
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Composer: Alex Wurman
Studio: Miramax Films
Reviews for Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Clooney, who on the basis of this movie has a big career ahead of him behind the camera, demonstrates a real flair for visual comedy.
The movie makes a case for itself through sheer oddness and perversity.
The story winks at show-biz insider parody -- you might end up yearning for more quality time with Bob Eubanks.
[Clooney] and Kaufman have crafted a truly bizarro masterpiece -- the kind made for instant cult status and midnight runs.
Thanks to Clooney, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is colorful, fast-moving and fun, but never without its bittersweet hint of madness.
Maybe the title should have been Confusions of a Dangerous Mind, though the confusion, in this case, can be pretty sublime.
An attractive, charming film that has fun with its period settings, its goofy plot and its off-kilter performances.
This somber, draggy movie, which is nothing like the breezy, lunatic comedy its TV ads promise, takes Barris' claims at face value and plays them for stone-faced drama.
The film may be a pleasure to look at, but in the end it's so uninhabited it becomes a chore to watch.
Who would've thought a movie about Chuck Barris could be so rich and entertaining?
A blast from beginning to end and shows first-time director George Clooney is equal parts fearless, brilliant and perhaps daft. But an intriguing daftness it is.
[Clooney's] debut can be accused of being a bit undisciplined, but it has a tremendous, offbeat sense of style and humor that suggests he was influenced by some of the filmmakers who have directed him, especially the Coen brothers and Steven Soderbergh.
Rockwell is definitely the star of the movie. He's brilliant within the limitations of the part, tapping into Barris' mannerisms and tics in an uncanny way.
Rockwell lets us see all the joy, lust, self-pity, and rage with which Barris gonged himself.
Startlingly Clooney shows great flair in his foremost engagement -- terrific formation, daring camera movements, creative storytelling.
A brilliant mix of television history, artistic license, and resilient self-inflation.
I have to confess there's nothing very dangerous going on in a comedy that is neither as twistedly weird as your average Gong Show contestant nor as arch as an interview on The Newlywed Game.
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