The Men who Stare at Goats

No Goats, No Glory! This is the tagline for the story so ridiculous that it is probably mostly true which stars an all-star cast including Academy Award winners Kevin Spacey and George Clooney and 4-time Oscar nominee Jeff Bridges. Director Grant Heslov hits a home run with the confidence of his production team and backed by what is probably the best ensemble cast of the year. What originally seemed like an Oscar caliber idea quickly dissolves into a farcical attempt to satirize the competence of the US military.

Set to the perfectly complementary Boston, the story focuses on a reporter (McGregor) who stumbles on a story of psychic soldiers in the post-Vietnam Cold War era. After exploration, he tags along with the quirky Sergeant Cassaday (Clooney) who reveals the exploits of his black ops jedi warrior clan.

What makes the film difficult to take seriously is the absurdity associated with the psychic warfare angle. What eventually brings the viewer in is the endearing and intriguing demeanor and dedication of the men involved. You feel that their fight for success in winning the war on terror peacefully is validated after spending time with their characters.

Humor abounds in what is a snapshot of a piece of actual experimental military science. The final scenes prove how much a drop in the bucket this program probably was, and subconsciously causes a cynical outlook on the wasteful bureaucratic nature of government. To approve a program so completely beyond the realm of logical is simply typical.

My newest favorite actor, Stephen Lang, shows up as the Brigadier General who is in charge of the secret program, and seeing him on screen fuels my excitement for his role in Avatar, where I truly think he will be a dark horse supporting actor contender come March.

This film is as original as it is quirky, and I found myself sitting in a crowded theatre appreciating the humor more than any other viewer in the audience. Laughing out loud at inappropriate times just comes natural in this light-hearted romp.

Cleverly billed as a film that clearly doesn't take itself too seriously, goats although not a critical part of the plot do add a very astute symbolism to the film. An arbitrary creature that is hilarious (gut-busting prolonged camera shot of an innocent goat) as a way of demonstrating the tone.

George Clooney shows that he is capable of just about any role out there. His range is wider than any actor in the business today as will be evident in his Oscar win for Up in the Air later this year. The rest of the cast is strong and appropriate, and although critically panned (see EW's F grade) this film hits the target where it aims.

I probably liked it more than others, but I appreciate its originality and humor. Stephen Lang is entering a second phase of his career that will land him choice roles in the coming years much like Brolin's role in No Country for Old Men did for him. Definitely not great, but go see it for the absurdity. 6/10.