Movie Marathon 3 - Obsequiousmelon stared at goats!

Name of the Film: The Men Who Stare at Goats

Starring:  Ewan McGregor, George Clooney, Jeff Bridges   

When Bob Wilton, played by Ewan McGregor, is left by his wife he sets out to Iraq to find himself and the story of a lifetime.  When he gets there he meets Lyn Cassidy and what may turn out to be the strangest story he has ever heard!

The Men Who Stare at Goats is a difficult film to review.  It is in reality two stories.  One set in the aftermath of the vietnam war and one set in the early part of the Gulf War and the two stories converge toward the end of the film.  Both however are about men having some sort of break down.

Ewan McGregor is a man stuck but comfortable who has the rug pulled from under him when his wife leaves him for his editor.  Goerge Clooney plays Lyn Cassidy who was the shining star of the American armies Psychic Soldier programme but now is a washed up has been clinging to old dreams of ‘jedi’ super warriors even though it appears obvious that he doesn’t have any super powers to speak of.  Jeff Bridges plays Bill Django who goes in search of himself whilst clearly shell shocked from Vietnam, then returns to the army with a hippie inspired dream of creating a new army that practices non lethal techniques and gets in touch with their inner ‘being’.

This film has a Coen Brothers feel to it.  Even though they had nothing to do with the film on any level it still feels like one of their more zany films.  Every character is slightly crazy and is played like a caricature.

It’s written well and performed well but still it is hard to care about a group of middle aged men who really think they may have psychic powers.  The fact that it is based (loosely, some of the characters are several real people rolled into one) on a real story just makes it more pathetic and, if I’m honest, harder for me to care.

What saves the films content is the way they use Ewan McGregor’s character to ground everything.  His incredulity helps the viewer to view the story, that is being told, in it’s proper perspective but still it is a true story about middle aged men who try to run through walls and think that if they stare at goats for long enough their hearts will explode.

I did enjoy it... Kinda.  But the films content suggests that it should have been played for more obvious out and out laughs rather than the sly winking we get, and I don’t remember laughing out loud once...

Did I enjoy the film?  Sort of.

Would I recommend it to my friends?  Probably not, it’s funny in places but still lacks something. 

Will I buy it on DVD/Blu Ray?  Yes but only because it was 35 bucks at HMV.

If it was a mate would I let it date my Sister?  It is a little too lacking focus for her I think.