The Men Who Stare At Goats- DVD Release

Dim lights Embed Embed this video on your site Inspired by the 2004 book by British journalist Jon Ronson, this quirky black comedy from director Grant Heslov exposes the apparent madness behind US military intelligence.

While interviewing a man who claims he can stop the heart of a hamster using only the power of his mind, journalist Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) stumbles across an even crazier story: back in the 80s, the US government had a top secret unit of “psychic spies” who underwent training which would enable them to walk through walls and render themselves invisible. The most gifted of these psychics was Lyn Cassidy (George Clooney), a man with the ability to kill a goat simply by staring at it. Wilton later encounters Cassidy, who has been reactivated and is on a top-secret mission to Iraq, and who, it soon becomes clear, is a few beers short of a six-pack. The pair team up, and Cassidy fills Wilton in on the ‘New Earth Army’, its creator, Vietnam-vet-turned-New-Age-hippie Bill Django (Jeff Bridges, channelling the Dude), and the “Jedi-warriors” who filled its ranks.

A witty script and fast pacing can’t distract from the film’s silliness, particularly during the flashbacks. Which is a shame, because Goats had the potential to be a brilliant satirical assault on the War O n Terror. Though incredibly funny and bizarre at parts, Ronson’s book was no joke: during his investigation into the weird and wonderful, he uncovered some scary truths relating to US army “intelligence”, including experimental methods of torture which involved blasting Iraqi prisoners of war continually with the theme-tune to Barney the Purple Dinosaur – those of you with children or younger siblings will understand the questionable humanity of this technique. Heslov, on the other hand, seems more interested in wringing any and all humour from his source material rather than making a strong political statement, resulting in some moments of slapstick which jar slightly with the film’s moral message.

The cast put in great performances however: Clooney is on top comedic form, once again getting in touch with his inner idiot, and McGregor displays a natural knack for comic timing. The ever-dependable Kevin Spacey also makes a welcome appearance as a rogue psychic and master of the “death-touch” – a move so lethal that it can lay dormant for years before killing its recipient.

Overall, The Men Who Stare at Goats is entirely daft but entertaining nonetheless, proving that sometimes fact is stranger than fiction.

CMD