"The Men Who Stare At Goats" - REVIEW

There's nothing wrong with trying new things, but we should never forget what our strengths are. Grant Heslov, George Clooney's long-time producing partner, has had a successful run, most notably with the excellent "Good Night and Good Luck" (2005) which he also helped write. Unfortunately, Mr. Heslov's talents as a director don't quite measure up to those as a producer/writer. "The Men Who Stare At Goats", though competently made and amusing, is missing that crucial edge to make it work as a satire/farce.
Based on Jon Ronson's book, the film takes a look at the adventures of struggling reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) as he delves into the story of Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), who claims to have been part of a secret psy-ops branch of the military during the 1980s. Wilton encounters Cassady by chance at a hotel in Kuwait, and after a few awkward moments begin a journey together to Iraq.
Though it's all amusing to watch, the feeling that "something" is missing becomes apparent quite early on. After a pitch perfect opening (during which a hilariously dead-serious Stephen Lang attempts to run through a wall), the humor devolves into jokes that are somewhat funny, but too soft. As a satire, Peter Straughton's script misses the mark; there isn't nearly enough bite. In fact, there times when there's really no bite at all. Much of it is just silly, while often playing it safe in situations that have the potential to become devastating satire.
Structure also contributes to the film's sense of shapelessness as well. The film is built heavily on flashbacks that chronicle Lyn's time in the psy-ops brach (named the New Earth Army), as well as introduce us to head NEA member Bill Django (Jeff Bridges), and Lyn's rival Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey). These flashbacks are certainly important to the story, but it feels as if more of the film takes place in flashback mode than in the film's "present". If you strip away the flashback sequences, all that's left is a weak story and an even weaker jab at the military, which is a shame considering all of the talent involved. Making matters worse is that the film, though not dull by any means, is always a step and a half behind in terms of comedic timing, rendering the funny moments worthy of a solid chuckle, but usually nothing more.
Now, to be fair, there are a handful of good laughs, and it's hard to fault the cast. Clooney, the closest the film has to a standout performance, nails the wacko facial expressions of Cassady while uttering his lines with perfect sincerity. Clooney also has good chemistry with McGregor, who plays the obligatory straight man role. Bridges and Spacey are fine with what they're given, which isn't much. Perhaps the best part of it all is that Bridges' role isn't a cheap recycled version of The Dude from "The Big Lebowski".
But despite being absolutely competent, Heslov's film simply isn't sharp enough, and it feels particularly dull coming only a few months after Armando Ianucci's razor-sharp "In the Loop". The cast is solid, but the characters aren't developed enough for the actors to bring any spark to them; the performances are all on roughly the same level, the only real difference being the amount of screen time. The film's biggest crime isn't that it's "bad" or "stupid", but simply that it feels to safe, and ends up be a pleasant diversion, but nothing else.

Grade: C+