“The Dating Game.” “The Gong Show.” The Central Intelligence Agency. One of these three is definitely not like the other.
Chuck Barris, a pioneer of reality TV whose lowbrow game shows confounded network executives but ruled the Nielsen ratings, has a secret. He may be a lowly TV producer by day, but he’s defending your country from Communism by night. He’s been recruited to kill for the CIA. That’s right, ladies and gentleman. Chuck Barris, that irascible ’70s icon of goofball chic, is, in fact, a government-trained assassin. At least he says he is. Whether you believe him or not is up to you.
This wry adaptation of Barris’ dubious (and eminently falsified) autobiography of the same name springs from the dangerously sharp mind of wunderkind screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (capping a prolific year that included the awful “Human Nature” and the immaculate “Adaptation”).
Kaufman and Barris seem to be kindred spirits, and Kaufman’s flourishes of self-loathing are the perfect match for Barris’ equally self-deprecating narrative. Not nearly as mind bending as “Being John Malkovich” or “Adaptation,” “Confessions” aims more for the emotions than the gray matter. Kaufman’s Barris comes off as a tragic figure, a man whose ambitions and good intentions can never quite overcome the voracity of his appetites. He is a professional murderer not because he needs to be or wants to be; he just can’t help but be one.
George Clooney shows considerable directorial range in his freshman effort behind the camera, proving yet again that he is one of the smartest, most interesting stars in Hollywood these days. Dusting off a kitschy bag of trickery containing everything from extreme zooms to split-screen, Clooney adds nostalgic loopiness to this already quirky tale while, at he same time, ably emphasizing the more cathartic elements of Barris’ cautionary tale, as in the downbeat romantic scenes between Barris and his long-suffering girlfriend Penny. It’s not only a solid debut but also a downright impressive one, and you can’t help but wonder what Clooney has up his sleeve for next time.
Breaking free of his usual supporting player status (“Charlie’s Angels,” “Heist” or “The Green Mile,” anyone? “Galaxy Quest” perhaps?), Sam Rockwell is a revelation as Barris. Rockwell gets scarily deep beneath the skin and inside the addled (dangerous!!) mind of a man who knows how pathetic he can be yet seems to have no control over it. It’s a wonderful performance, full of humor, charm and meticulous character work (his impersonation of Barris’ “Gong Show” persona is positively creepy), and may finally catapult Rockwell to Hollywood’s elite A-list.
Rockwell has able support, especially from Drew Barrymore as Penny, in a performance which mixes bubbly innocence with aching sexuality before finally revealing a vulnerable core of fear and pain. Clooney steps in front of the camera in a droll performance as Jim Byrd, the CIA operative who brings Chuck into the fold, and Rutger Hauer pops up as an amiable fellow assassin. Julia Roberts shows her comedic chops in a small but important role as a deadly field agent for whom Chuck gets the unabashed “hots.”
Though the film does delve into Barris’ many flaws, this is not an expose of violence or sexual deviance nor a tongue-in-cheek morality play. Nor is it merely a satire of pop culture and the shadowy shroud of American government. A time capsule of an era best forgotten and a medium in transition from art to popular entertainment. A candid portrait of a famous man ruled by the insecurities of a boy who never really grew up. Even a gritty biopic (that is, if you believe in the validity of Barris’ CIA escapades). “Confessions” has elements of all of these and desperately wants to be all of them at once.
Though it doesn’t always succeed in its ambitions, the film is still a good night at the movies, full of invention and passionate performing. An intriguing confection with an appropriately bitter center, “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” is one of last year’s smartest, funniest entertainments.