Seen on: November 5, 2009
The players: Director: Grant Heslov, Writer: Peter Straughan, Cast: George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges, Rebecca Mader, Stephen Lang
Facts of interest: Inspired by Jon Ronson's book.
The plot: A journalist may finally find his big story when meets a man who claims he is a psychic soldier with paranormal powers.
Our thoughts: Grant Heslov’s “The Men Who Stare at Goats” is a bizarre little film, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it’s as funny as it’s awkward, and that’s certainly a good thing. This light comedy may not be very meaningful, but it’s filled with a solid dose of witty moments and a bunch of excellent acting performances.
In the film inspired by Jon Ronson’s book, Ewan McGregor plays Bob Wilton, an ambitious journalist from Ann Arbor, Michigan, who may finally find the next big story when he runs into Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), a total weirdo who claims he’s a psychic soldier trained as part of a secret U.S. military project.
Lyn is also on a mission, but no one really knows what that mission is about. At times it even seems he doesn’t know himself. Nonetheless, Bob’s curiosity pushes him to tag along, and before they know it, the two characters find themselves in the middle of the Iraqi desert looking for… well, who knows what…
Equipped with plenty of humorous moments and dialogue that won’t necessarily cause massive laughs but definitely provoke many smiles, “The Men Who Stare at Goats” is also quite unpredictable, which I really appreciate. It’s a perfect example of a film that won’t reveal where it’s heading next, and to me, that’s always a plus.
As I also mentioned above, the film is quite awkward, and along the same lines, it’s also incredibly absurd, but not in an embarrassing way. It’s absurd in a way that it will make audiences laugh, even though it feels the central story isn’t really going anywhere at times. That’s okay though, because it doesn’t have to.
If there is one thing I had some issues with in the movie, it’s the pacing, which ends up being slower than I expected. The film barely runs for 90 minutes, but to me, it felt a lot longer. Some scenes drag a tad too much for my taste, but at the same time, that's not a devastating problem. After all, it’s funny, and that’s what matters.
The characters we get to observe here are pretty interesting, and the actors portraying them offer some memorable performances. Clooney’s Lyn Cassady is obviously the star of the film, and his eccentric behavior and belief he possesses paranormal powers make for some very effective comedy.
I also particularly enjoyed watching Jeff Bridges in the role of Bill Django, one of the brains behind these so-called ‘Warrior Monks,’ a group of elite soldiers who at least think they can pass through walls, kill goats by simply staring at them, and look into the future. His lines are hilarious, and he sure knows what he’s doing.
It doesn’t stop there though, because Kevin Spacey proves he’s got what it takes to play a bastard as funny as he is mean in the role of Larry Hooper, a former member of Django’s troop who’s got some psychic ideas of his own. Last but not least, McGregor’s performance as the confused journalist worked perfectly for me as well.
As to what the hell this movie is about… well, make up your own mind. “Be all that you can be” (or something along those lines) is one of the recurring mottos in the film as our main characters stroll to the desert and encounter other bizarre characters, but I’m sure there’s more to discover in this amusing comedy.
Freaky quote: "So what you're saying is that... you, are a uh... psychic spy?" - Ewan McGregor
The final word: In the end, what the film is about doesn’t nearly matter as much as how humorous and well-acted it is. Some of the jokes work marvelously while others don’t, but overall, I found it rather refreshing to watch Clooney and co. stare at some goats. Kudos to Heslov for creating something many will enjoy.
Article by Franck Tabouring