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From Amazon.co.uk
Showbiz autobiographies don't come any stranger than Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, a fractured kaleidoscope of film styles--from sitcom to paranoid horror--accompanied by an infectious musical mosaic. It's based on a memoir by Chuck Barris--the mastermind behind The Dating Game (the format we know in the UK as Blind Date) and The Gong Show--which interweaves a fairly straight account of his toils in the television industry with outrageous fictions about his secret life as a CIA hit man. First-time director George Clooney takes Barris' bizarre book and--working with screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, who similarly mutated the truth in Adaptation--makes an extraordinary picture, with an awards-quality performance from Sam Rockwell as Barris.
Clooney takes the secondary role of Barris' enigmatic boss, and there's sterling work from Drew Barrymore as Barris' ditzy regular girlfriend and Julia Roberts as an espionage dragon lady. It's an acidly witty film that consistently turns the tables on its hero and the audience. Priceless tiny gags include: a silent Brad Pitt and Matt Damon as contestants of The Dating Game and Barris coming up with the idea for a TV quiz show while half-listening to a CIA instructor explaining torture techniques. --Kim Newman
Product Description
George Clooney (Ocean’s Eleven), Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich) and Drew Barrymore (Charlie’s Angels) star in the comedy thriller that poses an irresistible question: what would happen if a wildly successful TV producer was also a top secret CIA assassin? While Chuck Barris (Sam Rockwell - The Green Mile), maverick creator of The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game and The Gong Show, gains notoriety for his smash television shows, he is also drawn into a shadowy world of danger as a covert government operative. But soon his life begins to spiral out of control – both of them. Directed by George Clooney and based on Chuck Barris’ classic novel, this entertaining hit earned a Best Actor award for Sam Rockwell at the Berlin International Film Festival.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By M. D. Hart
VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
George Clooney's directorial debut is not perfect....yet what he has given us is a structured, interesting tale about a game show host turned CIA operative. Starting very strangely with a dirty, naked man in his apartment, the movie progresses through a collection of espionage, murder, comedy and near-insanity that you just can't help but enjoy.
Sam Rockwell turns in a great performance as the would-be hitman, and is supported brilliantly by Julia Roberts, Drew Barrymore and good ol' George himself. To begin with, George's performance is a little sketchy, and it will take a while to get used to theat moustache, but he does eventually settle down and play a very cool role that is hard to characterise as 'friend or foe'.
Damage to the finesse of the movie is done by the limited camera techniques used for effect. Even though there are some very well storyboarded and executed scenes, due to the constant mood and pace of the movie, it is easy to notice when a scene runs dry. But, the movie picks itself up well and all the performances are consistent after the first 25mins.
I went to watch this at the cinema just due to the boredom of the day, but I was pleased to find a funny, witty, independent movie that will become an excellent DVD to own. Treat Yourself :)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By don_piano
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
An absurd, very dark, very funny story that is in no danger of taking itself too seriously. Excellent acting all round, it's a pity that critics seemed none too keen on it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By N. Jones
Format:Blu-ray
I'm writing this review to get some balance against the only other (at the time of writing) review. Sam Rockwell is the business. As you can tell I'm a fan but I couldn't imagine anybody but him bringing this story alive. It's got a dark comic mood that runs through it that is captivating. I don't know if these events really happened to Chuck Barris but if they did...what a life! Blu ray is blu ray what do you expect - it's clearer than dvd!!
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3.7 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Rubbish
I could not have been more disappointed with this film, it was so awful.It was so bad, it made me cringe from top to bottom.
Published 4 months ago by Jillian
1.0 out of 5 stars
Confessions
This movie is a bore fest. I didn't give a damn about any of the actors in this movie as they were either two dimensional or completely without charm. Read more
Published 4 months ago by nini
3.0 out of 5 stars
too much smoke and mirrors
This film is perplexing in that it provides an excellent vehicle for Sam Rockwell's acting talent and as such gives you quite a cinematic ride, but the story itself is, in my view,... Read more
Published 14 months ago by schumann_bg
1.0 out of 5 stars
Silly
If you want to watch a film about a guy whose life was so vacuous that he had to try to make it interesting by writing an autobiography pretending to be employed as a hitman by the... Read more
Published 14 months ago by thegweeb
1.0 out of 5 stars
Totally awful
My least favourite film ever. Truly bad. Dire. I hated it. So many reasons.
Perhaps the DVD could be used to scare birds if tied with string and left to dangle from a... Read more
Perhaps the DVD could be used to scare birds if tied with string and left to dangle from a... Read more
Published on 22 May 2009 by J. Kaufman
1.0 out of 5 stars
What a Load Of Rubbish
I was expecting a really good film, this was due to the good write ups and the stars in the film, We turned it off after 45 minutes what a load of rubbish, I was so releaved to... Read more
Published on 19 Jan 2007 by Give Me A Good Film To Watch
5.0 out of 5 stars
Who's the mole?
Close on the heels of his ADAPTATION, screenwriter Charlie Kaufman scored again with CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND, based on the (fictional? Read more
Published on 23 Feb 2006 by Joseph Haschka
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ladies and Gentlemen....
...Welcome to George Clooney's directorial debut - and what a cracker it is! It deals with the life story of Chuck Barris, memorable TV host and game show creator who was... Read more
Published on 30 Nov 2005 by Mr. J. WARE
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good film - but subject won't appeal to everyone
I wanted to watch see this film because it featured Sam Rockwell and George Clooney, two excellent actors, and so many film reviews recommended it. Read more
Published on 3 July 2005
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good start for Clooney
Chuck Barris is a television legend in the USA. Now in his 70's he is all but unknown in the UK; although his inventive eye for popular TV gave the world such shows as "Blind Date"... Read more
Published on 10 Mar 2004 by David
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