Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

George Clooney’s directorial debut, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind follows fledgling TV producer Chuck Barris (Sam Rockwell) as he’s recruited into the CIA by a shadowy figure named Jim Byrd (Clooney). It’s a decidedly outlandish premise that’s employed to decent-enough yet entirely erratic effect by Clooney, as the filmmaker, armed with Charlie Kaufman’s screenplay, delivers a hit-and-miss endeavor that does, for the most part, feel like it could (and should) have been seriously streamlined – with the sometimes sluggish narrative saddled with several padded-out scenes and sequences. There’s little doubt, however, that Confessions of a Dangerous Mind remains quite watchable for the duration of its admittedly overlong running time, as Clooney does a fine job of peppering the proceedings with memorable sequences and stellar performances – with, in terms of the latter, Rockwell’s often mesmerizing turn matched by such notable periphery players as Julia Roberts, Rutger Hauer, and Drew Barrymore. (Robert John Burke’s larger-than-life appearance as a drill instructor remains an obvious highlight, ultimately.) And while the picture eventually limps to its less-than-spellbinding final stretch, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind nevertheless comes off as a solid first feature that generally exploits its inherently compelling subject matter to agreeable effect.

**1/2 out of ****