The Men Who Stare At Goats

Ewan McGregor plays a disillusioned and recently jilted newspaper reporter who is in desperate need of a scoop.As a result, a sullen Bob Wilton (McGregor) heads to Kuwait to cover the Iraq invasion while going in search of adventure and personal redemption.

It’s here that the newshound unearths a headline grabbing story when he makes acquaintances with a retired US Special Forces agent who divulges some highly, and outlandish, classified information. The mysterious Lyn Cassady (George Clooney) boasts about the existence of a top secret military unit entitled the New Earth Army which administers some very unorthodox strategies.

This cheeky satire is based on journalist Jon Ronson’s book, which is quite startlingly based on factual US military intelligence operations, and takes a healthy swipe at America’s use of wartime profiteering private contractors in the Middle East. Despite this offbeat film’s shortcomings, one can’t help admire director Grant Heslov and his influential pal Clooney in bringing to the screen yet another timely reminder of war’s ludicrousness and ultimate futility.

THE VERDICT...

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