Review Copyright Cassandra Henry, 2003

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"I have a TV show on the air so I don't need to kill people anymore." -- Chuck Barris CASS' CLIP (WARNING: **spoilers below**) The year is 1981 and Chuck Barris (Sam Rockwell) checks into the Phoenix Hotel in New York City. A disheveled Barris is standing naked in front of the television set. The television is symbolic of Barris' obsession with bringing "joy and laughter to millions of people." But while Barris entertains the viewing audience, censors accuse him of being responsible for the "decline of modern civilization." To understand the rise and fall of his 40-plus year career in the industry, Barris documents his experiences and his past transgressions. Through flashbacks and narration, Chuck tells a sorted tale of how getting into show business was an outlet for him to have sex with women. Chuck says he just wanted to be loved. [My interpretation -- If a hot piece of ass came along to make love to him that was okay too]. His journey takes him from Philly to Manhattan where he works as a tour guide, at the NBC Studio, then backstage on American Bandstand. Chuck's big break comes when his one-hit wonder song, "Palisades Park," sung by Freddy "Boom- Boom" Cannon, hits the airwaves, but his success is short-lived. His tenacity does pays off when studio execs green light three of his game show creations, The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game, and The Gong Show. [These shows are the blueprint for today's "reality" TV programs]. Along for the ride, is his long-time girlfriend, Penny (Drew Barrymore), a free-spirited hippie. Their open relationship gives him the freedom to sleep around with ease. Despite Barris' quirkiness, mood swings, and countless infidelities, Penny loves him, warts and all. [Their lives will be forever intertwined]. That's the picture Chuck paints in front of the camera. In actuality, Chuck was really a CIA hit man. He claims CIA Agent, Jim Bryd (George Clooney), recruited him to be a hired CIA assassin because he fit the profile. [Okay, if being crazy is the profile the CIA is looking for, then the psychiatric ward at Bellevue Hospital should be closed. But wait, Chuck's story gets even better]. Chuck said he "wasn't just going to work for the CIA," he "was going to kill for the CIA." Chuck's day job was the perfect cover for his secret life. For example, whenever he was ordered to make a hit, he simply awarded trips to the winning couples on The Dating Game and chaperoned them to the country where specific targets lived. And what would an assassin's assignment be without a female operative, Patricia Watson (Julia Roberts), or a confidant like fellow agent Keeler (Rutger Hauer). The world of espionage and Chuck's frantic murdering spree finally take its toll. He claims he murdered 33 people. [What U talkin' 'bout Willis? Well, at least that's what Barris wants us to think]. As with most hired assassins, at some point, their own names end up on a hit list. After everything Chuck did for the government, they now want to pay him back with the ultimate permanent retirement plan. Ain't dat some shyt]. Fast forward to the present with Chuck's final thoughts about a new game show idea -- "The Old Game". The concept is that three old guys walk out on stage with loaded guns and they will reflect on their past accomplishments - both professional and personal. The winner is the one who doesn't blow his brains out. The grand prize is a refrigerator! DA 411 Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, adapted Chuck Barris' novel, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, An Unauthorized Autobiography, into a pretty interesting movie. [Kaufman also wrote the screenplays for Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, which may explain why Confessions seems somewhat similar]. First-time director, George Clooney, does a decent job, trying to make sense out of Barris' bizarre story. Sam Rockwell does an excellent job depicting a manic and paranoid Chuck Barris. His characterization was believable enough that it drew me into a seemingly improbable movie plot. Drew Barrymore is likable as Chuck's girlfriend, but she always plays the unconventional and free-spirited chick. [Not much of a stretch for her in terms of her acting abilities]. And, I just don't get the Julia Roberts' fan bandwagon. Nuff said. Oceans 11 friends, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt, said when Clooney asked them to star in a movie he was directing, they immediately said yes. They appear simply as two non-speaking bachelors on The Dating Game. Clooney does double duty as director and actor. Clooney tries to very hard to come across as the mysterious CIA agent, Jim Byrd. I got the feeling, however, that Clooney was always on the verge of laughing, which made his supposed creepy demeanor suspect. Clooney also takes creative license when he pays tribute to his deceased aunt, Rosemary Clooney. Reference to her television is made when one of the tour guides mentions that The Rosemary Clooney Show was her favorite and her rendition of "There's No Business Like Show Business," is included in the soundtrack. In an attempt to add credibility to Barris' story, cameos by Jaye P. Morgan, Dick Clark and Jim Lange, are spliced in between scenes. Whether Chuck was or wasn't confessing the truth about his CIA experiences or simply purging himself of his demons, Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind was both intriguing and entertaining. CASS' CONCLUSION Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind will definitely become one of those movie trivia questions: "What 1970's producer, writer and game show creator confessed to having been a CIA hit man?" CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND:   back to top Copyright Cassandra Henry, 2003 EMAIL: cass@3blackchicks.com