Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)

Charlie Kaufman writes movies about people who cannot connect with society in any meaningful way except occasionally through their work; this film, then, must represent the virulent nihilistic extreme of that theme. Chuck Barris (as portrayed here) is a parasitic, misanthropic loser of a man who finds success with shows that celebrate in people's humiliation, so it's not that far of a stretch of the imagination that this husk of a man would have no compunction in serving as an assassin. Neophyte director George Clooney nearly bungles this surefire premise by overdirecting the film into stunthood (no wonder Kaufman tried to distance himself). Luckily, he steps back in the second half and lets the story tell itself, which allows the potent thematics to peek through. Acting is uniformly stellar (Drew Barrymore's discovery of Barris's philandering is perfectly underplayed); the final line is a kick in the ass.

Grade: B-