The Men Who Stare at Goats

From its irresistible title to its unlikely ending, this quirky, unpredictable romp is basically a two-man show, ably assisted by a few great supporting characters.

Ewan McGregor ("Miss Potter" and "Angels and Demons") serves as our alter ego, incredulously observing the unlikely roles played by George Clooney ("Burn After Reading" and "Michael Clayton") and Jeff Bridges ("Iron Man" and "Seabiscuit"), who are former members of the U. S. Army's First Earth Battalion. As you might suspect, this battalion was created to use paranormal powers. That these powers might be augmented by judicious use of controlled substances, good old-fashioned 60s Flower Power, lots of chanting, a deep immersion in Eastern philosophies and a general disconnect from the real world, is something that McGregor's character slowly comes to understand. As to their effectiveness and veracity, only he (and therefore WE) can decide for sure...

The story takes place in current day Iraq, with McGregor's character determined to go where the action is, not just as a journalist, but as a man desperate to prove to his soon-to-be ex-wife that he is a "manly" man. When he meets Clooney, the "truth" slowly evolves, if only to be upended on a regular basis. It's clear that he really WANTS to believe in paranormal powers, it's just that he can't see any evidence...

This movie contains my favorite line in many a moon: "Don't eat the eggs..." And McGregor delivers it with a delicious, understated glee. I think you had to be there!

Oh yeah, there are some goats....