Confessions of A Dangerous Mind (2002) is a captivating and darkly comical drama-thriller starring Sam Rockwell as real-life television personality Chuck Barris. Famous for hosting the amateur talent showcase "The Gong Show" in the 1970's, Barris would go on to claim in his 1984 autobiography that he secretly moonlighted as an assassin for the Central Intelligence Agency for many years.
Though Barris would later confess to fabricating his secret agent backstory, screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich) brings his fantasy to full fruition—enacting a fictional narrative about a struggling television writer-performer recruited by a shadowy CIA operative named Jim Byrd (George Clooney). While accompanying game show winners to exotic locations under the guise of chaperone, Barris would track down and eliminate enemies of the state while maintaining his television persona as his cover. His exploits become increasingly complicated by his fledgling relationship with Penny Pacino (Drew Barrymore), a young hippie with eyes toward marriage, and a seductive fellow agent named Patricia Watson (Julia Roberts) whose allegiances remain enigmatic.
Adapted by Kaufman from Barris' titular autobiography and directed by George Clooney in his directorial debut, Confessions of A Dangerous Mind is a shrewd, absurdist spy caper given a wry comic edge courtesy of the Barris-Kaufman-Clooney trio. With Barris on board as consultant, they crafted a unique and entertaining tale of escapism, with major stylistic assists from cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel and editor Stephen Mirrione. Above all, Rockwell steals the show in his depiction of Barris—a madcap semi-fictional persona beset by inspiration, titillation, bewilderment and searing paranoia.
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