Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

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The memoirs of game-show creator-host Chuck Barris (the man responsible for The Newlywed Game and The Gong Show) are the inspiration for this sneaky biopic, which not only covers Barris's television career, but also his exploits--unsubstantiated, but also not disproved--as a government assassin. As Barris, Sam Rockwell gives a gutsy, manic-depressive, warts-and-all performance, depicting how Barris cheated repeatedly on his longtime girlfriend Penny (Drew Barrymore), was recruited into the CIA by a stone-faced agent (George Clooney, who also makes a stylish directorial debut), created some of the most popular yet reviled TV shows of the 1970s and '80s, and had a torrid affair with a mysterious, beautiful operative (Julia Roberts). For a screenplay by Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is pretty straightforward, letting Barris's fevered brain speak for itself. The result manages to be lurid, comic, and oddly philosophical. --Bret Fetzer

Description

George Clooney (OCEAN'S ELEVEN), Drew Barrymore (CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE), and Sam Rockwell (THE GREEN MILE), 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 a maverick creator of America's favorite game shows gains notoriety for his smash television hits, 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' cult-classic autobiography, with a script by Charlie Kaufman (ADAPTATION), this entertaining hit delivers comedy to keep you laughing . . . and intrigue to keep you guessing!

Customer Reviews:

Chuck fits the profile...........2007-09-12

Surprising movies are good, and this movie is pretty surprising.

Not being familiar with any of the tv shows mentioned, I am impressed with Barris's ability to pluck hit tv show ideas out of the air. I did like the idea of Julia Roberts in this movie as a spy, and I love Drew Barrymore as the long suffering girlfriend.

Whether this whole hit man for the CIA is true or not, I leave to you to form your own opinion. If it is true then whoa, if not, then like whatever. It does make for an interesting story line.

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Never wanted to see it.......2007-08-31

I never wanted to see this movie. However when I did it became one of my favorite movies. Sam Rockwell did a great job portraying Chuck Barris. Maybe it is all true....

Corey Cotta, Author of All of Yesterdays Tomorrows.

Truth stranger than fiction???.......2007-08-12

Sam Rockwell does a great job in the role as Chuck Barris. I would have doubted the truth to the "CIA Hitman" aspect of it if I had not recently read the book "Legacy of Ashes" about the CIA. Now I believe that "Confessions..." is for real. The CIA has been and is so inept that they would have used their own mothers to do hit jobs. Being an ex-police officer I am reminded of the "FBI" agents that would show up to investigate murders or bank robberies. We called them "FBI...Famous But Incompetent." Now the CIA to me will always be known as "CIA...Can't Investigate Anything." Or more possibly "Couldn't Inform Anyone."

A Very Funny, Star-Packed, and Deeply Disturbed Romp.......2007-04-03

A movie that combines "Ocean's Eleven" stars and a core storyline from "A Beautiful Mind" with the TV progenitor of Simon Cowell? It seems unlikely, as does much of the book this film's script was based on, yet it all comes together well in a very weird, but hilarious piece of entertainment.

Sam Rockwell is dead-on as game show producer Chuck Barris, who created not only two staples of American television mediocrity (The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game), but also the "American Idol" of the 1970s -- The Gong Show. The only differences between Barris' production and today's "Idol" are that Barris featured ONLY bad wanna-bes, so there were no recording contracts and such offered, and his judges were a lot funnier, as was he. Of course, viewers were different back then, too, in that they didn't know what to make of a show on which struggling "talent" were verbally abused. Today, that's half of Idol's viewership. In any case, Rockwell's portrayal of him is perfect.

Equally good are Drew Barrymore, as Barris' on-again, off-again, on-again love interest, George Clooney as Barris' supposed CIA handler, and fellow assassin Julia Roberts. In fact, Barrymore is considerably better here than in most of her roles. The appearance of Rutger Hauer also made me laugh, especially given the tough guy roles he used to play. And cameos by Brad Pitt and Matt Damon are priceless.

As for the "A Beautiful Mind" reference, Barris' assertion that he served as a CIA assassin during that period is so absurd that it immediately made me think of the Russell Crowe/Jennifer Connelly film's delusional spy sequences. It's also fitting considering that the central message of Barris' book is that it is immensely painful to have a brilliant mind in early life, yet end up wasting it on developing cheap fodder like "The Dating Game." (Pretty much the story of American televison in general.)

Don't get me wrong -- this is NOT a movie classic. Still, Barris is such a weird yet bright man that the film is fun throughout. And its depiction of this period of TV-making in America is funny, believable, and all too insightful as to how we ended up with the flood of "reality" and game shows that pollute our TV screens today. The film blames Barris, because he did himself, but it's the networks that pushed and paid for this dreck, and still do.

If you have an absurdist bone in your body, you'll at least get several laughs out of this. Enjoy.

"The winner is the one who doesn't blow his brains out.".......2006-12-13

`Confessions of a Dangerous Mind' has its fair share of followers. I, for one, am not one of them. I just couldn't get into this film the way I wanted to. I couldn't find much about it that made me all that interested. It covers the life of famed TV host Chuck Barris, the creator of shows like `The Dating Game' and `The Gong Show' but what this film really tries to chronicle is his supposed (never proven, never denied) stint as an assassin for the CIA. This isn't handled the best way and it ends up coming off a bit far fetched. Even his recruitment is a scene that makes me laugh; like anyone would just walk up to you and offer you a job as an assassin.

Sam Rockwell does a fine job here, but he's easily upstaged by the two women in his life, long time girlfriend Penny (Barrymore) and fellow assassin Patricia (Roberts). This being Clooney's debut in directing he didn't do terrible...he did far better in the directing department then he did in the acting for his Jim Byrd was so stiff and unbelievable it was laughable. Actually, my favorite scene of incredible acting came when Brad Pitt and Matt Damon cameo as two contestants on `The Dating Game' who get passed up for the overweight loser sitting next to them...the best scene in the movie and it only lasted a few seconds. So it has its moments of comedy but for the most part this film is far fetched, drug out and meandering, so much so that it loses interest and speed long before it should.

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind [Region 2]

Average customer rating:

Chuck fits the profile....
Never wanted to see it
Truth stranger than fiction???
A Very Funny, Star-Packed, and Deeply Disturbed Romp
"The winner is the one who doesn't blow his brains out."

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0000TEW2I

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Customer Reviews:

Chuck fits the profile...........2007-09-12

Never wanted to see it.......2007-08-31

Truth stranger than fiction???.......2007-08-12

A Very Funny, Star-Packed, and Deeply Disturbed Romp.......2007-04-03

"The winner is the one who doesn't blow his brains out.".......2006-12-13

Charlie Rose with George Clooney (January 20, 2003)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with George Clooney (January 20, 2003)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Educational | Genres | DVD | Video

Description

Actor George Clooney discusses some of his previous roles and his directorial debut in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. The film tells the story of Chuck Barris, the game show host who later went on to claim that he secretly worked for the C.I.A.

DVD:

DVD

DVD