‘The Men Who is Stare at Goats’ is Funny, if Directionless
-----A quirky title, an all star cast, and a bit of truth are becoming the cornerstones of adult Hollywood comedies. Take September’s ‘The Informant!’ for instance. It stars Matt Damon as a peculiar business man, and is based, however loosely, on a true story. The same is true for ‘The Men Who Stare at Goats.’ Audiences who enjoyed the trailer will likely enjoy the film, and that’s all there is to it. It is what it is, and in this case, that means consistently entertaining and occasionally riotous.
-----‘The Men Who Stare at Goats’ follows reporter Bob Wilton, recently dumped by his wife and looking for purpose in life. So naturally he ships out with the military, looking for a story in the Middle East. That’s when he meets Lynn Cassidy, an ex-military soldier who claims to be “a Jedi warrior.” Nuff’ said.
-----Ewan McGregor stars as Bob Wilton, in a funny role, with his typical comedic timing present. Playing a somewhat nerdy loser, somewhat everyman, McGregor comes off as the straight character in a sea of bizarre and wild ones, and yet he still manages to get plenty of laughs due to his undeniable chemistry with costar George Clooney. Clooney plays Lyn Cassidy, a man who fancies himself “a Jedi warrior.” Once a member of the long-since-forgotten, hippy-enthused, psychic division of the U. S. Army, Cassidy has remained faithful to the old ways. Of all the men in the force, he was the best. Clooney brings a sincerity and depth to his goofy role as a military psychic living in the past, getting a number of laughs through, quite literally, his sheer will. He has a superb likability throughout the whole film, and his chemistry with McGregor makes for one of the year’s best comedy duos yet. And as if they didn’t supply enough star power on their own merits, joining them are acting vets Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey. Bridges plays the founder of the Army’s “Earth” battalion. After being disillusioned with violence, he sets out to find the meaning of life and comes back with a strategy for preventing fighting rather than actually fighting. Consequently, he trains a squadron of promising psychic cadets including Lyn Cassidy (Clooney) and Larry Hooper, played by Kevin Spacey. Spacey acts as the film’s antagonist, a man who believes in his extrasensory abilities but is skeptical to Bridge’s hippy methods. Spacey is also responsible for one of the film’s funniest scenes involving Box K-9, Larry’s Spirit Guide, and a tin cup; you’ll know it when you see it. The combined cast’s chemistry is surprisingly strong given the enormity of their collective credits. Not to mention they’re all having so much fun that it’s nearly impossible not to have fun yourself, even in the film’s slower parts.
-----One prominent issue with ‘The Men Who Stare at Goats’ is its plot, or rather lack thereof. As the film proceeds, it loses direction more and more, possibly due to the partly true story it’s based on. Yet while the film does get a bit dry during its penultimate act, the actors have enough energy and charisma to make it worth your time. There are also a few select scenes that are downright classic, with consistent sniggers and a few outrageous laughs filling the majority of the runtime. The film also has an uncanny amiability, as you take pleasure in nearly everything about its exploits, especially after the fact, as it sits pleasantly in the back of your mind. That said, ‘Goats’ lives on a few perfectly executed scenes that will be quoted for years to come.
-----The film is shot on-location in a number of different settings, many of which suit the film’s quirky but consistent mood. The musical score is amusing, supplemented nicely by the pitch-perfect application of ‘Boston’s ‘More Than a Feeling.’ The makeup and effects crews also do a nice job of making Clooney, Bridges, and Spacey look much younger in their 80s flashback scenes, and likewise much older in their present-day sequences; though the latter surely comes more naturally. Clooney in particular has to go through a number of ages and hairdos, many of which, especially his grown out locks, add to the humor.
-----The film’s running joke is the paradox of Ewan McGregor being astounded by these so-called “Jedi warriors,” and his journey to becoming one. For those of you still not catching onto the last sentence, McGregor was Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequel ‘Star Wars’ trilogy. Unfortunately this pun of sorts can’t carry the entire film, and really, neither can the film’s premise. Slow at times, the ‘The Men Who Stare at Goats’ is nonetheless an effervescently affable screwball comedy. It’s a comedy for adults, and much like ‘The Informant!’ lives on its leads performances, though ‘Goats’ proves superior, at least on a second viewing basis. Those who at all enjoyed the trailer should have lot of fun with this film that focuses on a certain type of moviegoer, all of whom should know who they are after seeing the trailer. Obviously if the preview seemed frustrating and inane, then this isn’t for you, but the majority of its viewers will enjoy it. With an all-star cast and a bizarre true story basis executed to a high degree, ‘The Men Who Stare at Goats’ becomes one of the year’s funnier comedies, and a model for quirky, easygoing, star-studded slapstick entertainment.
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