George Clooney makes an assured directorial debut with this biopic based on Chuck Barris’ cult book, and Charlie Kaufman’s witty script strikes the right balance between the comic and the tragic. In addition to creating TV’s "The Dating Game" and "The Gong Show," Chuck Barris claims in his autobiography he was an undercover assassin for the CIA.
To my mind, “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” works best as dark comedy. This movie also has some aspects of a thriller, but I think whether this categorization fits depends on if you believe Barris ever worked for the CIA. I thought that despite being based upon his autobiography, what unfolds in this movie defies credibility. But Sam Rockwell’s naturalistic and unsettling performance as Barris gave the story an emotional center that made it come alive for me anyway.
The movie’s production values and directorial sensibilities often combine to produce an icily chic and intellectually detached feeling tone that I thought didn’t quite work with the subtle power of Rockwell’s performance. To my mind, the highly stylized filmmaking of “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” weakens the emotional punch of the story.
But I was often impressed by this movie’s cinematography, especially in the scenes where Barris is supposedly abroad on an assignment for the CIA. The film photography here adds a delusory feel, reinforcing the possibility that Barris’ mind isn’t quite tracking with reality.
Charlie Kaufman’s script for “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” is witty and shrewd, although it occasionally seemed self-conscious and glib. The dialogue in this movie is especially good and there are many memorable lines. A favorite of mine is delivered by Patricia (Julia Roberts), one of Barris’ CIA contacts. She remarks, “The insane asylums are filled with people who think they’re Jesus or Satan. Very few have delusions of being a guy down the block who works for an insurance company.” Like much of the dialogue written by Charlie Kaufman, this works on more than one level. It ties together threads of Barris’ precarious sanity, his out-of-control ego, and his terror—one that lurks in the minds of many of us—of being just an ordinary person.
In addition to directing, George Clooney has a supporting role as Jim Byrd, Chuck Barris’ main CIA contact and handler.
What I like best about this film is that it offers a fascinating look into a man’s life and an era’s pop culture—both of which were badly in need of a reality check. The DVD includes an especially interesting audio commentary, in addition to other bonus materials which I’ve outlined below.
Selected Special Features on the DVD:
- Anamorphic Widescreen (2.40:1)
- English 5.1 Dolby Surround
- French Language Track
- English Captions for the Hearing Impaired
- Audio Commentary by Director and Cinematographer
- Behind-the-Scenes Vignettes (7)
- Deleted Scenes (11) With Optional Commentary
- Sam Rockwell Screen Test
- The Real Chuck Barris Documentary (6 min. 13 sec.)
- Still Gallery
- Gong Show Acts (5)
