George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham in Up in the Air. While the movie changes some agonizing subjects into intelligent and artful comedy, it made sure to leave just a little bit of the pain in it for added weight. Bingham spends most of his days travelling around the country with one purpose: to fire people. As unusual as it is, he works for a wide array of bosses who lack the courage to lay-off their employees themselves. A man of no attachments, his constant life in flights suits him well. His isolated world would soon be threatened by two things: first, the company he works for resorted to the technology of video conferences to fire people, leaving Bingham jobless, and second, he falls in love with Alex (Vera Farminga, The Departed), who seems to be just like himself, only female. Written and directed by Jason Reitman, Up in the Air is only one of the funny but mindful films regarding discredited characters. Other works similar to this one include Juno which stars a pregnant teen, and Thank You for Smoking which features an executive of a cigarette company. George Clooney on the other hand, is quite experience with playing men who think they’re smarter than everyone else only to find that in reality, they’re just as smart as other people. The combination is perfect. Up in the Air offers audiences a film of compassion and clarity. Of course the supporting cast was brilliant as well consisting of Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Anna Kendrick (Rocket Science), Melanie Lynskey (Away We Go), and Danny McBride (Pineapple Express) among others.
The Men Who Stare at Goats is known as the film adaptation from the bestselling book by Jon Ronson with the same title. Starring Ewan McGregor and George Clooney, the film was described as difficult to construe but easily enjoyable, the story circles around Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor), a mediocre journalist who stumbles upon Lyn Cassady (George Clooney) while attempting to prove himself as a newsman in Iraq. Cassady claimed that he is working for the U.S. Army as a psychic spy. The movie shifts between the two making their way through Iraq amidst the war, going after a mission that has been assigned to them through a vision, and the roots of the New Earth Army- a group of American Jedi warriors displayed by the use of mesmerizing cinematic ability. As the film progresses though, the mood transforms from witty comedy to mournful; revealing a picture of human triviality as shown through military delusions and corporate greed. Although the ending eases some pressure, The Men Who Stare at Goats remains a wonderful film; One of a kind and satisfying, witty and humorous in turns. The New Earth Army leader, who is bewildered yet appealing, is played by no other than Jeff Bridges while Kevin Spacey is the calculating psychic spy who changes the purpose of what was supposed to make the world a better place into a tool for inculcation and worse. Despite this, The Men Who Stare at Goats undoubtedly became successful by cleverly balancing out surface hysteria with major undercurrents, guided by spectacular acting ability from all involved.
Following the dark excellence of No Country for Old Men, Burn After Reading seemed trivial. However, there are only a few filmmakers that can elevate the trivial into art. Joel and Ethan Coen are such filmmakers. The comically intricate plot starts off when Osborne Cox (played by John Malkovich) is fired from his job with little knowledge that his wife Katie (played by Tilda Swinton), is going out with a federal marshal (played by George Clooney) who is secretly married. Cox then writes his memoirs to get back at the agency and coincidentally, Chad (Brad Pitt) and Linda (Frances McDormand) finds the said memoirs on a disc and tries to get a “Samaritan tax” out of Cox. Linda plans on using the money to undergo plastic surgery for her manager Ted (Richard Jenkins) to notice her. Little did she know that Ted likes her just the way she is. While it resembles one of the Coen films namely The Big Lebowski, Burn After Reading focuses more on the bizarre insecurities experienced during mid-life crisis with only Chad as the exception. Brad Pitt showcased his most hilarious role yet by portraying Chad as the person too preoccupied with other things to care about such insecurities. If The Big Lebowski presents the Coen’s original approach to film noir, Burn After Reading bears their stamp on hysterical thrillers from The Enemy of the State to The Bourne Identity.
The Leatherheads is considered to pay homage to both the early, nondescript start of professional football and the eccentric comedies dominating the 1930’s and 40’s. George Clooney is “Dodge” Connelly, a wily member of the football team Duluth Bulldogs. When the team goes bankrupt, Connelly tries to convince a war hero who is also the current star on the college football circuit named Carter “The Bullet” Rutherford played by John Krasinski to join the team. When he succeeded, professional football was legitimized by the absolute force of Rutherford’s celebrity. However, what they don’t know is that a reporter named Lexie Litteton (Renee Zellweger) is investigating Rutherford’s war records and what she discovers may foil the whole plan. At times, the eccentric flavor and Zellweger’s acting both feels forced, but those elements do add to the fact that the movie is spirited and fun. Not only did Clooney act on this movie, but he also capably directed the film, adding highlights to the movie’s fringes and making them shine as brightly as the main plot. Leatherheads is also the film where the star potential of Krasinski was noticed and deemed him similarly charming as Jimmy Stewart. Although the movie has plenty of witty comedy, the real comic context of the movie is revealed through offhand gestures and crafty character revelations. Ultimately, the film could be said to be in Preston Sturges neighborhood beside The Lade Eve and The Palm Beach Story; and the famed director’s neighborhood is indeed an impressive place to be in.
Directed by the Bourne trilogy’s screenwriter James Gilroy, Michael Clayton is drove by George Clooney in another one of his marvelous performances as a weary lawyer who cleans after legal garbage left by the clients of a renowned law firm. When the firm’s top shark played by Tom Wilkinson suffers from a meltdown during his defense of a mysterious chemical company from lawsuits, a crisis arises. This gave Clayton the chance to pick up the pieces of his broken life and career and get back on track. He finds out a cover-up of the company’s management to not issue payments to farmers highly affected by their products. Co-producing the film, George Clooney also offered quiet but spirited determination from his character and also found compelling support from Sydney Pollack, Michael O’Keefe, and Wilkinson as well. The well-written script by Gilroy also brought more life to the movie by challenging Clayton as he attempts to reveal the truth behind the cover-up. Although the film’s ending is pat, with the simple message that corporations can be evil and one who is involved in the works will soon feel conscientious, it remains emotionally satisfying. Tilda Swinton’s talents are wasted in her role as the chemical company’s distraught and heartless lawyer. Despite this fact, Clooney fans will be overjoyed to add Michael Clayton to his fine list of damaged heroes.
Steven Soderbergh created this profitable franchise. Like the previous two movies before it, Ocean’s Thirteen awed audiences by featuring George Clooney, Matt Damon, and Brad Pitt in the same movie along with other known names as supporting characters. Set in Las Vegas, the boys plan to go against the new project of a slanderous hotelier played by Al Pacino as revenge for the ailing Reuben played by Elliot Gould. If you take a closer look at the plot, the entire framework breaks down but Soderbergh added a new visual style that almost kicks like Bobby Darin at the Copa. Shooting the film himself using his pseudonym Peter Andrews, Soderbergh’s outstanding performance on making the widescreen float through the colorful spaces of Las Vegas and groups of people lounging and talking in hotel rooms is the only other reason to see the movie, aside from the fact that the cast is star-studded of course.
The usual comic of Ocean’s Twelve that came from Scott Caan and Casey Affleck are lacking in this movie but makes up for it by mixing up the skills of David Paymer, Bob Einstein, and Eddie Izzard. On the other hand, Ellin Barkin plays the assistant of Al Pacino while Pacino himself is satisfied to chew on some lines for the duration of the movie, with his hair dyed Trumpian orange to boot. The most confusing factor that most Clooney fans will notice however is that why George was satisfied of not being in the center stage; although his performance and his conversations with Brad Pitt are an entertaining form of male script. All in all, the usual Clooney coolness makes the long finale and everything about the movie believable.
For all the viewers who laments that movies are not made like they were in the past, The Good German is a welcoming gift for you despite its imperfections. While director Steven Soderbergh pays tribute to the golden age of Hollywood black and white melodramas, lacks the deep emotional structure and romance of Casablanca- the 1946 classic by Michael Curtiz that is obviously where The Good German was based, he succeeds in delivering a dark reminder that films can be appreciated just by being done correctly. Trying very hard to re-create the look and feel of a Michael Curtiz production, Soderbergh (under his Pseudonym Peter Andrews) made it through great lengths aesthetically and technically with cinematography. Meanwhile, the plot is based on the novel by Joseph Kanon and re-written for the screen by Paul Attanasio, a renowned Quiz Show screenwriter. Set in Germany after World War II, the script offers a twisting plot circling the historical Potsdam conference. Captain Jake Geismer (George Clooney) is a journalist for the American military who came to Berlin to get dibs on the event and instantly finds himself dragged down into a murder plan involving his driver (Tobey Maguire), a prostitute (Cate Blanchett) and her missing husband, and a scientist who has information on vital secrets stolen by the Russians and Americans in the bid for power before the Cold War.
Exhibiting sexual content, violence, and salty language clearly points out that this R-rated melodrama is a contemporary shot at paying homage to films from the past eras and not just a menial to copy what was done in the past. Doing so made the film’s overall charm lead to mixed results. The movie is beautifully created but the performances and the plot pull at each other in a vacuum, making the film unusually far from any aspect of human emotion. It may be fair to conclude that Soderbergh had more fun time while making the film than many people will have when they watch it. Considering Clooney’s performance as his character is betrayed and beaten many times on his way to sardonic enlightenment, The Good German also has qualities to make it recommendable, but the least is having to follow a gifted director indulge in his desire for brash experimentation.
Similarly created to the movie Traffic by writer-director Stephen Gaghan, Syriana is a soap opera circling around the world of global oil cartels. It attempts to showcase the wide implications of a societal addiction (which is oil in Syriana) to the business, political, social and personal lives of people. The story kicks off when a merger between two prominent oil companies of the world reveals ethical problems for the lawyer assigned on ensuring that the deal happened (Jeffrey Wright), and global effects beyond what one is able to see; a CIA agent (George Clooney) investigating him and ultimately finds out his true goal and the people he really works for; a brash oil broker (Matt Damon) experiences personal tragedy and partners with a Gulf Prince (Alexander Siddig) who is too ambitious for his own good. The two attempt to build an economy anew, only to discover that they are against powers far beyond their control. On the other hand, a revolutionary Islamic priest lures Pakistani youths to terrorism. And that’s just the beginning. Whether they notice it or not, all of these characters’ fates would be connected to one another, although at times the connections seem tenuous. Burdened by several different storylines, the film almost collapsed on itself in its effort to match with Gaghan’s idealistic vision. Syriana remains to be a basically believable film and its solutions to the problems keep it from crumbling to the ground in the end. No matter what viewers may think, whether they see the movie that goes everywhere to nowhere or an earnest attempt to show everyone some of the world’s major issues, this film deserves to be taken seriously and most likely will be talked about for a long time to come
Good Night and Good Luck uses highlights in history to thoroughly explain our present, when there is a pressing need for an independent and free press. Written by George Clooney with Grant Heslov and directed by the former, it presents a reputable tribute to the journalistic virtue of renowned CBS newscaster Edward R. Murrow, the only newscaster who was brave enough to confront the widespread and dictatorial witch-hunting of Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin in 1953 – 1954. He succeeded and was known as a real truth-seeker, a man who fights against the corruption of governmental and corporate powers. Murrow (David Trahairn) is a realist. He is very much aware of the biased tactics that will be implemented against him. Clooney provides vital backup and support through Murrow’s producer and close friend Fred Friendly, William Paley (Frank Langella), the CBS chief who nervously supports Murrow’s cause even under constant peril of reprisals. This team gives Murrow a menacing but not entirely unafraid trio of broadcasting boldness. The cinematography of Good Night and Good Luck is done by Robert Eswit and vividly recreates the stunning environment of the CBS newsroom and the early days of television. Clooney (who ironically is the son of a newsman himself) proves his skill in directing by using large themes and an appraised ensemble cast, never flying low to simplify ethically complicated material. Good Night and Good Luck is considered to have instantly become a classic, destined for all the praise it so deserves.
Darfur Now was aimed to play a very important part in educating and motivating viewers to get involved in any way possible in bringing the tragic situation in the African land of its namesake to an end. It is a movie that is difficult to watch, but imperative not to turn away from. The documentary is written and directed by Theodore Braun. Running for 98-minutes, it provides crucial facts one must take note while watching the film: Darfur, is a region in western Sudan. About the same size as France, it has a population of six million people and has always been in a critical state since 2003, when non-Arabs staged a rebellion against the Muslim government. With the military forces working together with the Janjaweed (meaning “devils on horseback”), an inhuman and well-planned genocide has taken place and has been responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths, with millions more eliminated. After this introduction, the film focuses on six different characters and their role in the fray. The six are namely Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor who is working hard to gather evidence against the Sudanese government; Adam Sterling, a normal but brash American from California who’s furious with the world’s lack of attention to the crisis, marches a campaign to pass legislation and push companies with plans on Sudan to denudate; Pablo Recalde, an altruistic volunteer of the Wes Darfur World Food Program who strives to save lives; Ahmed Mohammad Abakar, the chief sheikh of a camp dedicated to shelter displaced people in Darfur, tries to assemble his own people; a female revolutionary named Hejewa Adam, who trains to go against the Janjaweed; and author and actor Don Cheadle (George Clooney) uses his prestige to boost the public’s awareness of the situation. (The Sudanese government, represented by its smug U.N. ambassador, implicates the West as overreacting and has “over-dramatized” the whole thing.) Some of the six characters’ efforts and goals were successful: Sterling had his bill passed, Recalde’s efforts to get food distributed help save lives, and Ocampo finds enough evidence to file charges against a couple of Sudanese government officials (which was to no avail as the Sudanese refuse to surrender them). Classified as a documentary, Darfur Now comes across as being more of a fictional drama, marvelously filmed and edited. But of course, it’s all very real. As spoken by one of the rebels, “We must be patient until the white people come;” which is a painful statement, but unless that does happen, this story will never have a happy ending.
George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham in Up in the Air. While the movie changes some agonizing subjects into intelligent and artful comedy, it made sure to leave just a little bit of the pain in it for added weight. Bingham spends most of his days travelling around the country with one purpose: to fire people. As unusual as it is, he works for a wide array of bosses who lack the courage to lay-off their employees themselves. A man of no attachments, his constant life in flights suits him well. His isolated world would soon be threatened by two things: first, the company he works for resorted to the technology of video conferences to fire people, leaving Bingham jobless, and second, he falls in love with Alex (Vera Farminga, The Departed), who seems to be just like himself, only female. Written and directed by Jason Reitman, Up in the Air is only one of the funny but mindful films regarding discredited characters. Other works similar to this one include Juno which stars a pregnant teen, and Thank You for Smoking which features an executive of a cigarette company. George Clooney on the other hand, is quite experience with playing men who think they’re smarter than everyone else only to find that in reality, they’re just as smart as other people. The combination is perfect. Up in the Air offers audiences a film of compassion and clarity. Of course the supporting cast was brilliant as well consisting of Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Anna Kendrick (Rocket Science), Melanie Lynskey (Away We Go), and Danny McBride (Pineapple Express) among others.
