Review: The Men Who Stare At Goats
The idea seems absurd: that the U.S. Military used paranormal research to develop psychic spies near the end of the Cold War. But the viewer is warned that "more of this is true than you would believe", setting up the tension that occasionally awkwardly presents itself in this war-farce-comedy-drama.
Rookie director Grant Heslov's adaptation of journalist Jon Ronson's book about the U.S. Army's foray into psychic research is certainly far-fetched: the idea that a developed nation would seek to create "Jedi warrior monks" who could phase through walls, psychically find war criminals, and telekinetically kill goats is ridiculous, but it's just believable enough to be true. Heslov plays on this tension at the fringes of human ability and consciousness throughout the film, as the revelations of the activities of the "New Earth Army" become stranger and yet paradoxically more believable.
The cast has been one of the selling points in advertising, and is certainly the one of the strengths of the film. George Clooney deadpans his way through explaining his psychic powers; Jeff Bridges channels his inner hippie and imagines what The Dude might have been like if he had gone to Iraq; Kevin Spacey sneers and menaces his way under an unfortunate mustache in an underused role; and Ewan MacGregor is unfortunately underused as the protagonist reporter, Bob Wilton. It's not entirely MacGregor's fault, though; Heslov uses a tried and tired device, a reporter who discovers bit by bit that this department of the army exists.
The story is slightly disjointed, switching from a narrative in 2003 Iraq to flashbacks that tell the story of the New Earth Army from its inception in 1980. "Project Jedi" begins hopefully enough by ex-Vietnam Vet Bill Django (Bridges), a convert to new age philosophy, and experiences some early success with top psychic Lyn Cassady (Clooney). Unfortunately, Django's vision of a peaceful force intended to prevent war is soon manipulated by an opportunistic officer named Larry Hooper (Spacey), and the lament and final conflict of the film are set. As expected, the stories of all of these characters again intersect in the film's final act, which also demonstrates the intersection of the fantastical and real.
The film works best when it is firmly tongue-in-cheek, particularly in the early flashback sequences. There are several hilarious moments, and Clooney's deadpan and Bridges' overaccepting of the premise are necessary to the success of these flashbacks. But these moments are bookended by uncomfortable brushes with reality: kidnappers in Iraq; rival American security companies competing for Iraqi dollars using guerilla tactics; examples of musical psychological torture used in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. It is clear that Heslov is trying to bring the point to the viewer about what happens when "psychic" become "psychological", but the tension does not always do justice to the current reality. This is not Good Morning Vietnam or Full Metal Jacket; the real is not quite real enough here, and not treated with the same respect as it is in those films. Some of the laughs in Goats are more nervous than hilarious. It may have worked more effectively to not bring the story into the "present" (ie. Iraq); but a simple narrative may also not have worked (like Charlie Wilson's War). Heslov's attempt to have a satirical examination of war, with an awareness of social conscience, does not always work, but it does also make its point.
With that all said, The Men Who Stare At Goats is a very funny movie, and it does have a sense of purpose. It asks questions about themes of belief, faith, identity, and meaning, and it never gets too preachy or uncomfortable. Perhaps that sense of discomfort is supposed to be there, and that is where the movie finds its success; but perhaps, like its titular animals, we are not quite sure what to think and we should just follow the herd. The movie is both too ironic and not ironic enough, and I think in that tension it just might find its success.
Rookie director Grant Heslov's adaptation of journalist Jon Ronson's book about the U.S. Army's foray into psychic research is certainly far-fetched: the idea that a developed nation would seek to create "Jedi warrior monks" who could phase through walls, psychically find war criminals, and telekinetically kill goats is ridiculous, but it's just believable enough to be true. Heslov plays on this tension at the fringes of human ability and consciousness throughout the film, as the revelations of the activities of the "New Earth Army" become stranger and yet paradoxically more believable.
The cast has been one of the selling points in advertising, and is certainly the one of the strengths of the film. George Clooney deadpans his way through explaining his psychic powers; Jeff Bridges channels his inner hippie and imagines what The Dude might have been like if he had gone to Iraq; Kevin Spacey sneers and menaces his way under an unfortunate mustache in an underused role; and Ewan MacGregor is unfortunately underused as the protagonist reporter, Bob Wilton. It's not entirely MacGregor's fault, though; Heslov uses a tried and tired device, a reporter who discovers bit by bit that this department of the army exists.
The story is slightly disjointed, switching from a narrative in 2003 Iraq to flashbacks that tell the story of the New Earth Army from its inception in 1980. "Project Jedi" begins hopefully enough by ex-Vietnam Vet Bill Django (Bridges), a convert to new age philosophy, and experiences some early success with top psychic Lyn Cassady (Clooney). Unfortunately, Django's vision of a peaceful force intended to prevent war is soon manipulated by an opportunistic officer named Larry Hooper (Spacey), and the lament and final conflict of the film are set. As expected, the stories of all of these characters again intersect in the film's final act, which also demonstrates the intersection of the fantastical and real.
The film works best when it is firmly tongue-in-cheek, particularly in the early flashback sequences. There are several hilarious moments, and Clooney's deadpan and Bridges' overaccepting of the premise are necessary to the success of these flashbacks. But these moments are bookended by uncomfortable brushes with reality: kidnappers in Iraq; rival American security companies competing for Iraqi dollars using guerilla tactics; examples of musical psychological torture used in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. It is clear that Heslov is trying to bring the point to the viewer about what happens when "psychic" become "psychological", but the tension does not always do justice to the current reality. This is not Good Morning Vietnam or Full Metal Jacket; the real is not quite real enough here, and not treated with the same respect as it is in those films. Some of the laughs in Goats are more nervous than hilarious. It may have worked more effectively to not bring the story into the "present" (ie. Iraq); but a simple narrative may also not have worked (like Charlie Wilson's War). Heslov's attempt to have a satirical examination of war, with an awareness of social conscience, does not always work, but it does also make its point.
With that all said, The Men Who Stare At Goats is a very funny movie, and it does have a sense of purpose. It asks questions about themes of belief, faith, identity, and meaning, and it never gets too preachy or uncomfortable. Perhaps that sense of discomfort is supposed to be there, and that is where the movie finds its success; but perhaps, like its titular animals, we are not quite sure what to think and we should just follow the herd. The movie is both too ironic and not ironic enough, and I think in that tension it just might find its success.
