Based on the book by Jon Ronson
Screenplay by Peter Straughan
Directed by Grant Heslov
A wacky satirical comedy about a secret Psychological Operations team that was formed by Bill Django (Jeff Bridges, in his best role since Lebowski), who teaches his recruits the methods of controlling things with your mind, for the purpose of war. These soldiers are named Jedis, and after a few failures, the team is shut down for good.
Reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) meets a man named Lyn Cassady (George Clooney) who tells him all about the team, and what is going on with it today, under the direction of his biggest adversary in the forces, Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey).
In the same vein as Burn After Reading, Three Kings, and even a little bit of The Hunting Party in that it's oddball, surreal without being unrealistic, and the film never takes itself too seriously, otherwise it would be bogged down and probably boring.
Clooney is great as the paranoid, off-the-wall Cassady, and Ewan McGregor makes a fine turn as the reporter trying to figure out if any of this is real, if Cassady is who he says he is, what Larry Hooper is up to now, and exactly what happened to Bill Django.
It zips right along, with some great location shooting, some hilarious cameos, tons of great lines, and an awesome soundtrack. I think there are a few moments where they could cut some fat, get the film leaner and meaner, but for the most part it was very well done, very funny, as long as you are into satirical, surrealistic, black comedies. I know I am.
9.3/10
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