The third offering from Mr Clooney, this month, comes in the for of 'The Men Who Stare At Goats', directed by Mr C's long time producing partner Grant Heslov (who you may know better as the middle eastern-looking actor who plays sidekicks in True Lies and Scorpion King...yeah, him). As with Fantastic Mr Fox and Up In The Air it's an amusing, offbeat tale that is told with a straight face and dry humour.
It follows a newly separated reporter (Ewan MacGregor) who, looking for a way to impress and win back his ex-partner, starts investigating the U.S. Army's psychic research brigade. Run by hippy warrior Jeff Bridges, it has psychic soldiers, or 'Jedi' as they'd prefer to be known (including George as well as Kevin Spacey as his rival), developing their skills so that they can brainwash the enemy, locate anything on the planet or kill a man (using goats to practice on) using only the power of their mind.
It's a lightly told comedy drama that's all about finding purpose and belief in ones life. It zips along pleasantly and has a smattering of laugh out loud guffaws amongst the wit and subtle silliness. I especially like Spacey's attempts to develop subliminal DVD's for trainee soldiers, including the one that suggests "not to drive a tank in the desert if high on acid". Nice.
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