The Spy Who Gonged Me
Barris' Confession is Intriguing

I'm just old enough to remember the bizarre and hardly entertaining madness of "The Gong Show" in the 1970s. I remember the Unknown Comic and Gene Gene the Dance Machine. But Chuck Barris never really stuck out in my mind. He was another game show host without any flash or style. The only thing I remember about him was his penchant for wearing hats.

Now, in his directorial debut, George Clooney offers up another version of Barris' life. Based on Barris' personal diaries, public records, and taped interviews, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind explores the madness of a man who has been accused of bringing the worst of civilization to television.

If Confessions is to be believed, Chuck Barris' life was ordinary and unassuming. Since childhood, Barris was obsessed with sex (as many young men are) but it became the driving force for many of his career decisions as well. Having made a little success in the television industry, Barris (played by Sam Rockwell) found himself unable to hit it big. Finally fate dealt him a hand he wasn't expecting: he was offered a chance to become a contract assassin for the CIA. Or so he claims.

There is some real history here. I had no idea, for instance, that Barris was the mastermind behind such dredge as "The Dating Game" and "The Newlywed Game." In hindsight, it shouldn't surprise anyone.

For his part, Clooney does a decent job of directing. Switching between interviews with people in Barris' life and the story (told in flashback), he uses a number of interesting visual tricks. Sets move and change as needed to tell the story. Old shows are seen only on television screens to preserve their authenticity. Clooney also plays Jim Byrd, Barris' contact to the CIA.

For his part, Rockwell nails down the part of Barris. It is not only the squinty-eyed mannerisms and shuffling feet. He has a presence that forces the audience to question his sanity. Drew Barrymore plays Penny, Barris' love interest over the decades. Julia Roberts is the femme fatale; she plays one of Barris' contacts in the underworld.

On the down side, the film dwells too much on Barris' sex life (as if we care). If this is part of his "confession" I really don't want to hear it. At times, it sounds like bragging. At other times, he comes of as a pervert. In addition, the film never develops the other characters (Penny, Patricia, etc.) very well. Undoubtedly because everything is centered so completely on Barris himself. The worst part of the movie however, is being forced to look at Rockwell's bare ass for a majority of the film. That's a mental image I would like to purge from my brain.

Where the truth ends and the lies begin is anyone's guess. Did Barris really kill over 30 people? Did he merely "think" he was a contract killer? Did he make the whole thing up in order to spice up an otherwise dull life? The film never really offers an answer. Nevertheless, Confessions is an interesting "version" of Barris' history.

MY RATING: 6 out of 10.

RATED: R
RUN TIME: 113 min.