The Men Who Stare at Goats
Movie Review
Noe Aratani-Mandiberg
Issue date: 11/17/09 Section: Scene
"The Men Who Stare at Goats" is a very interesting movie. The idea behind this film is that Bob Wilton, played by Ewan MacGregor, is a reporter who decides to travel overseas to Iraq and report on the war. Before he leaves, however, he meets and interviews a man who claims that he is able to kill things just by staring at them.
This man tells Bob that Lyn Cassady was the most skilled member of the military's unit that used paranormal powers to fight wars. As luck would have it, Bob happens to meet Lyn Cassady, played by George Clooney, while in Iraq and ends up travelling and going on an army mission with him.
One of the stand-out aspects of "The Men Who Stare at Goats" is the star studded cast. Of course, Ewan MacGregor and George Clooney are wonderful in their roles as well as a perfect match to work together. The casting of Jeff Bridges, who plays Bill Django, the man who started this paranormal sector of the army, is great too.
I mean, who better to play a hippy with braided hair who believes that war should not be fought with weapons, but with mental powers? Another enjoyable aspect of the film was the scenery and the amazing shots of the desert.
Overall, "The Men Who Stare at Goats" is a good movie. There were many parts during which I found myself laughing out loud. However, even though there were many funny parts, the humor ultimately ended up detracting from the film as well.
I felt awkward laughing out loud or even snickering, at some of the jokes because they seemed politically incorrect. The very blunt message of this film was basically that war and violence are bad and peace is good. This is one of those films that you would need to watch several times in order to catch all of the jokes, innuendos and hidden messages.
Sometimes, this need to re-watch a film and get more from it is good. In this case, it left me disappointed, not wanting more. I would recommend this movie when you are in the mood for some political messages, great actors and dry humor.
This man tells Bob that Lyn Cassady was the most skilled member of the military's unit that used paranormal powers to fight wars. As luck would have it, Bob happens to meet Lyn Cassady, played by George Clooney, while in Iraq and ends up travelling and going on an army mission with him.
One of the stand-out aspects of "The Men Who Stare at Goats" is the star studded cast. Of course, Ewan MacGregor and George Clooney are wonderful in their roles as well as a perfect match to work together. The casting of Jeff Bridges, who plays Bill Django, the man who started this paranormal sector of the army, is great too.
I mean, who better to play a hippy with braided hair who believes that war should not be fought with weapons, but with mental powers? Another enjoyable aspect of the film was the scenery and the amazing shots of the desert.
Overall, "The Men Who Stare at Goats" is a good movie. There were many parts during which I found myself laughing out loud. However, even though there were many funny parts, the humor ultimately ended up detracting from the film as well.
I felt awkward laughing out loud or even snickering, at some of the jokes because they seemed politically incorrect. The very blunt message of this film was basically that war and violence are bad and peace is good. This is one of those films that you would need to watch several times in order to catch all of the jokes, innuendos and hidden messages.
Sometimes, this need to re-watch a film and get more from it is good. In this case, it left me disappointed, not wanting more. I would recommend this movie when you are in the mood for some political messages, great actors and dry humor.
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