Surprise! Goat-staring seriously funny

    Movies are frequently “based on a true story.” The Alfred Hitchcock classic “Psycho” was based in part on the real life story of Ed Gein, who also inspired “Silence of the Lambs.” Football film “Rudy” was also based on a real guy, Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger.
    Believe it or not, “The Men Who Stare at Goats” is based on a true story.
    For those unfamiliar with the film, it follows Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor), a journalist who travels to Iraq to cover the war in a desperate bid to make something of his life. There he meets Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), who claims to be a psychic soldier from a top secret military program used to train psychic spies. Hijinks ensue.
    The truly messed up part is that the program actually existed. The movie is based on a book by author Jon Ronson. The book “The Men Who Stare at Goats” details Ronson’s investigation into a secret New Age unit in the American military.
    Based partially on the Human Potential Movement in the late 1970s, the First Earth Battalion was an attempt by the military to develop soldiers with psychic abilities. The program was shaped largely by the ideas of retired Lt. Col. Jim Channon, who wrote the “First Earth Battalion Operations Manual” in 1979.
    The film, of course, doesn’t just stick to the facts. It builds upon them, creating a genuinely hilarious tale.
    Clooney gives a surprisingly funny performance. I didn’t know that he was funny. I guess I should have known he has a sense of humor, as he has a standing offer to refund your $8 if you tell him you saw “Batman & Robin.” I’m not even making that up. His performance as Cassady is funny and genuinely touching. Viewers will spend most of the movie questioning his sanity, but still wind up caring about him.
    McGregor’s performance as Wilton is also excellent. I’ll admit my bias here, as I totally have a man-crush on McGregor since his kick-ass performance as Obi-Wan Kenobi, but whatevs, he’s still good in this. He manages to walk the line between serious and hilarious, and it works.
    It works because of the totally deadpan nature of the movie. It presents ideas that are completely ridiculous, yet takes them completely seriously. It manages to poke fun at the entire concept of the New Earth Battalion without straight up mocking it. Some people may not like such dry humor, and I can appreciate that, but if you “get it” then it’s hysterical.
    The film also does a good job of keeping the audience guessing. It isn’t clear whether the New Earth Battalion manifests actual psychic powers or if everyone is just enjoying a really good trip. Like, on drugs. The ambiguity adds a certain depth to the film.
    Admittedly, the movie isn’t perfect. The plot is a little meandering. In part it is a conscious decision on the part of the filmmakers. The plot is broken up over time, with some of the movie taking place in more or less the present and parts taking place during Cassady’s days with the New Earth Battalion.
    However, some fairly important elements of the plot aren’t introduced until the very end, almost as an afterthought.
    The pacing also seems odd. The movie feels really short when it’s over, but at the beginning it sort of drags a bit. Some of the exposition could have come a bit earlier. However, it sort of adds to the sensation of ambiguity by delaying certain significant events.
    All in all, the film is excellent. Its dry humor is hilarious and its story manages to be funny and touching at the same time. The film does a good job of building a sensation of ambiguity that adds a layer of depth that really works.
    “The Men Who Stare at Goats” has a runtime of 93 minutes and is rated R for language, some drug content and brief nudity.
    Contact Arant at cody.arant@murraystate.edu.

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