Hidden Movie Gem: “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind”

Today’s Hidden Movie Gem guest post comes from Zach Jansen.

Movie Title: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

Year: 2002

Wwriters: Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman (uncredited rewrite by George Clooney); based on the book by Chuck Barris (screenplay link here)

Starring: Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Rutger Hauer

Director: George Clooney (directorial debut)

Plot Summary: An adaptation of the cult memoir of game show impresario Chuck Barris, in which he purports to have been a CIA hitman.

Why I Think This Movie Is A Hidden Gem: The story is so far-fetched that you know there can’t be any truth to it. But at the same time, there’s enough offered in terms of timeline and Barris’s personality to believe it might have happened. Above all, though, is George Clooney’s inventive direction and Sam Rockwell’s indelible and memorable (and mesmerizing) performance.

My Favorite Moment In The Movie: Chuck and Keeler’s dinner conversation in the restaurant full of mirrors. Perhaps a bit aggressive on the visual symbolism, but it’s the conversation about life and the choices we make that lingers longer and with more poignancy.

My Favorite Dialogue In the Movie: “When you are young, your potential is infinite. You might do anything, really. You might be Einstein. You might be DiMaggio. Then you get to an age where what you might be gives way to what you have been. You weren’t Einstein. You weren’t anything. That’s a bad moment.”

Key Things You Should Look For When Watching This Movie: When I introduce the movie to people who haven’t seen it, I give these instructions: Watch the movie, then watch it with Clooney’s commentary and marvel at all the practical in-camera effects and transitions that give the movie a seamlessness. This straightforward approach to creating the film is something you don’t see often and lies in the face of the audacious tale of Chuck Barris.

Movie Trailer:

Thanks, Zach! To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!

Tomorrow: Another Hidden Movie Gem!

Note: We filled up the month of October, so I don’t need any more guest posts. Thanks to everyone who participated!