Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

George Clooney, 2002


3/5

Ambitious television producer Chuck Barris (Sam Rockwell) who created The Gong Show and The Dating Game also moonlights as a CIA operative assassin in this film directed by George Clooney and a screenplay written by Charlie Kaufman. Based on a memoir written by Barris.

Sam Rockwell is a good choice for Chuck Barris. Barris is sort of an unassuming figure. At one point in the film Jim Byrd (Clooney) says to Chuck: "You're a fairly bright guy. You'll figure it out". And that sort of sums up a lot about Chuck. He has the drive, there's no doubt about that. But his youth was full of rejection, and that never really subsided. And life isn't necessarily timed perfectly. When he finally meets the girl who is sincerely attracted to him, Chuck has a lot of fires burning. He wasn't exactly thrilled to take on the job working for the CIA, but does anyway without much defiance. And that's why Jim chose him anyway. He fit the profile. What was the profile? Probably a softy loner who wasn't going to stand out. Someone who nobody really looks at twice. Someone who is quite forgettable. Not one to solicit a second glance. Someone perfect for Sam Rockwell, who is no stranger to playing the "also-ran" type of character.

The film at times offers a taste of classic film noir. At other times its more of a character study. And other times it feels like a black comedy mixed with a crime drama. Clooney is quite capable in the director's chair, there's no doubt about that. The scene where the camera pans while introducing the various contestants really gives the feeling its all one continuous shot. The cinematography by Newton Thomas Sigel plays with a lot of color, at times an absence of it. There's a certain stylistic quality to the film that at times feels almost Sin City-like. You get a sense that the entire film has a lot of skillful people behind the camera, and it's realized quite early on that everyone in front of the camera is more than capable. It's not going to be a film for everyone, and it's certainly not Kaufman's best screenplay, but it's a film that should certainly be appreciated for the production-value.

Gravity

Alfonso Cuaron, 2013

4/5

Novice astronaut & medical engineer Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and veteran astronaut Matt Kowalksi (George Clooney) must work together to survive after their space mission is abruptly interrupted by a debris storm.

This limited-storytelling picture opens in the infinite landscape of space as astronauts are performing maintenance duties on the station. Rather than being a space-film existing in the comforts of being in a air-locked ship, much of the time is actually spent outside. An almost complete absence of sound creates a very disconcerting feeling. The early sound you hear are some oldies echoing through Matt's headset as he communicates with Houston. Some segments become a white-knuckle fight, trying to grab onto anything secured. The problem is, everything attached seems frighteningly detachable, and from a distance there's no clear indication. Seeing earth from above the atmosphere can go from being a beautiful time-stopping thing to a very isolating feeling. You're stuck in an outside world where the world below is completely unaware of any dilemma that may arise. We all likely believe that the space stations we build are rock solid (probably because they cost hundreds of millions of dollars to build), and can withstand anything. Gravity certainly proves this wrong. And in zero gravity, small objects can cause large problems. And with a communication breakdown, that only becomes more isolating. Audio hisses, and teardrops float. Clooney and Bullock have a complimentary dynamic. Matt Kowalski's carefree demeanor is basically the opposite of Ryan Stone's distressed character. You sort of have to have a character like Kowalski's present, otherwise things would just become so stiff your heart rate would never slow down watching. Both are fine for the roles, with Bullock bringing more to the table. Clooney doesn't really break out of his typical mold. But Bullock has evolved quite a bit from similarly toned Annie Porter in Speed.

You lose yourself in the film. Any thoughts of a green screen dissipate. The camera shifts seamlessly, from long shots of Stone and Kowalski's spacesuits floating to crafty in-helmet shots with a subtle display of illuminated gauge lights. Everything that Cuaron seems to be going for in the film is executed well. It's probably not a film for everyone. The same people who would be bored with similar limited storytelling space film Moon may also be looking at their watches here, and too bad for them. The many 3D cynics will probably be surprised by Gravity. It's done well, arguably the best use of the technology since Cuaron's best friend Cameron's Avatar. Like Avatar, the film is quite immersive and it's probably the bigger-the-better in terms of where you see it (IMAX must be a treat). The eye-candy is certainly built for the big screen, and not for an iPad.