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Diversions
"Confessions" offers bizarre originality
By John Behling
Published:
Tuesday, January 28, 2003
John Behling -- Movie Critic
If every movie was judged only by the virtue of its premise, "Confessions of a dangerous mind" would rank as one of the best movies of the year.
Regardless, it still ranks as one of the most original concepts of the year (though not besting "Adaptation," which could compete for most original concept ever). Both films snuck in limited releases in late December in order to be eligible for 2002's Academy Awards.
This movie may snag a "Best adapted screenplay" nomination for Charlie Kaufman who wrote both "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" and "Adaptation." Is that a coincidence? Definitely, but to play along with the conspiratorial feel of "Confessions" I'll rephrase that last response as "Definitely?"
"Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" claims to tell the story of Chuck Barris, the mastermind behind television smash hits like "The Dating Game," "The Gong Show" and "The Newlywed Game." Barris claims in his "Unauthorized Autobiography" to have moonlighted as a freelance CIA agent specializing in political assassinations.
When asked if this is really true, friends and co-workers said "maybe... I don't know, but maybe." Barris himself says, "I'll never say whether it's true or false. I'll take that to my grave."
Some things, however, can be confirmed as fictitious from both the book and the movie. Barris' hippie love interest Penny (played by Drew Barrymoore) is a made-up character. Both versions of Barris' life also disregards his failed marriages and his daughter.
The fact that he lied about these aspects of his life casts doubt on his secret-agent double persona, which in itself is nearly unbelievable. Or is it?
Having seen the film and read portions of the book, I don't believe that Barris was ever an agent of the CIA.
In fact, I didn't even believe it when I saw "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind." But why would I even go see this "true story?" Because of human nature.
Barris knows John Q public, he knows that we won't be able to resist the bait. Barris' insight into human nature is reflected in his shows, which are now considered ahead of their time. They brought ordinary people on the air, ridiculed them, embarrassed them and encouraged them to embarrass each other all in the name of entertainment.
Now "Reality TV" has raised the bar, reminding us how much we love seeing fellow human beings suffer publicly. And showing yet again just how far the average person would go just to be seen on television. The premise for "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" is just as beautiful and alluring as any of his game shows and just as effective.
So with this wonderful story it is arguable that the film has already won its battle. People will go to see it whether it's good or bad, the idea is too much to resist. Unfortunately, as a film, "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" barely holds it own.
In his directing debut, George Clooney approaches filmmaking with a nearly egotistic sense of ambition. The result is a sharply stylized feel. It uses flashy editing and several montages in a way that almost distracts one from the content of the film.
The mood seems more reminiscent of "Oceans 11" or "Out of Sight," seeming as if Clooney is trying to tell a caper rather than the self-portrait of a severely conflicted man trying to come to terms with the chaos of his life.
While the direction and editing fail to adequately capture Barris, the lead, played commandingly by Sam Rockwell, compensates greatly. Rockwell carries "Confessions" with a strong performance, from his scenes with Penny where he rejects her pleas for marriage to his breakdown during a taping of "The Gong Show."
Simply put, Rockwell sells his character. He makes the audience believe him, even those who refuse to believe Barris.
In a way, "Confessions" is just as confused as Barris. Its attempt to blend game show hilarity with bloodshed just doesn't gel. The balance is lost between the two and a predictable plot overtaking the secret agent half of Barris' life puts a forgettable end to this subplot.
On the other hand, the look inside Barris' life as a television producer is more developed and definitely more real, but it still stumbles due to an unfocused plot and the contrived look and feel of a television show.
Maybe it's the unsatisfactory result of this marriage of lifestyles that exposes the truth about Barris' story: it looks good on paper, but it just doesn't work.
However, Clooney's style, if not complimentary to the film, is visually attractive. Rockwell's performance alone, along with the visualization of this bizarre and original fantasy, is enough to warrant giving the film a chance.
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