The Men Who Stare At Goats
By Fliss Huckle
Director: Grant Heslov Duration: 94 minutes Rating: 15
Question - did you ever think you would see any of the following?
1. George Clooney dancing like a complete nutter in a fantastic hippy-wig?
2. Jeff Bridges ripping off his shirt in victory with his man-boobs out for all to see?
3. Ewan McGregor actually pulling off an American accent?
No? Neither did most people, but we do in the latest release from the Coen brothers. ‘The Men Who Stare At Goats’ isn’t as intelligent as expected, but is still very Coen-esque in it’s style; dark, witty and fast-paced yet easy to follow.
Based on the 2004 Jon Ronson book (of the same title) into the investigations of U.S. military forces adopting the use of psychic powers, ‘The Men Who Stare at Goats’ sees Ewan McGregor play journalist Bob Wilton stumbling upon perhaps one of the best stories of his life after a chance encounter with Lyn Cassady (George Clooney); a Special Forces operative highly skilled in psychic methods and claiming even to be able to stop the heart of a goat just by looking at it!
‘Goats’ is full of tightened skin (of the non-surgical, obviously-got-tape-behind-the-ears variety) to make these golden-oldie stars look younger and help them with their excellent, out of the ordinary performances. His previous failed attempts at a believable American accent have left McGregor few fans but this time round he actually manages to nail it. And while we’re on the subject of McGregor, watch out for the hilarious ‘Jedi Warriors’ link to his Star Wars past.
Underneath the comedy are some serious religious, political and ethical themes, some of which are a little out of place in the movie, however the references don’t overpower the “let’s see what happens when we put LSD in the eggs!” type of humour.
Despite its faultless A-list cast, this film is very un-Hollywood and will definitely garner a love/hate relationship with the audience. Unfortunately the story is weak but after a while you’ll forget about trying to make sense of the plot and just enjoy the comedy element. If fun and frivolity is what the doctor ordered then this will certainly put a smile on your face.
FAME Rating: * * *
Cast:
George Clooney.....Lyn Cassidy
Ewan McGregor......Bob Wilton
Jeff Bridges.......Bill Django
Kevin Spacey.......Larry Hooper
