George Clooney once again indulges his inner three stooges, starring in an espionage farce directed by his Good Night, and Good Luck screenwriter Grant Heslov. Like Clooney’s Leatherheads, this is a better idea than finished film. As an insecure reporter (Ewan McGregor) follows a supposedly psychic American spook (Clooney) into the insanity of the Iraq War, the slapstick is broad and the jokes are scattershot – even if the satirical digs at the self-delusion that directs much of American foreign policy are well aimed. It’s certainly a curiosity, though, and fun enough in parts, with amusing supporting roles for Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey as pioneers of the U.S. government’s secret psychic soldier program.
