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HEFE'S QUICKIE REVIEW OF:
THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS (2009)

    There is not many movies that I get excited about anymore it seems like. Maybe I have just been disappointed too many times and I am scared of getting hurt again, however seeing the previews for this film got my blood pumping. Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey and George Clooney heading up the cast about what looked to be a satirical intelligent comedy of Coen brothers caliber? It all seemed like a dream come true. So naturally when I got a babysitter I ran out to see this movie as soon as I could, and sadly, once again I found myself disappointed. I liked the premise of the movie, but I think this film's biggest flaw was that it tried way too hard to leave the door open to let the audience believe that all the psychic bullshit was real. The beginning of the film started out with lots of funny jabs at the notion and how funny it was how serious some of these people took their crazy ideas. This notion seemed to derail about halfway through though as they tried to convince the audience that everything was real. As for the performances, I even found myself disappointed there. Jeff Bridges was perfectly cast, and I thought he did a great job. I even thought George Clooney did a good job, he had just the right amount of crazy in his performance to seem believably eccentric. Ewan McGregor however seemed terribly flat and out of place in this movie. He just didn't seem to have enough edge to compete with his co-stars. Meanwhile Kevin Spacey was completely wasted and not really worth mentioning. I am making this movie sound worse than it really is, it was not a bad flick, and there were several moments that made me laugh, I am just sad this film was not the sleeper hit of the season I was looking for.