Charlie Kaufman: Ranking All 8 Films Worst To Best
7. Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind
George Clooney changed a great deal of Kaufman's script when he took on Confessions of a Dangerous Mind in his directorial debut. As a result, Kaufman has since said it's no longer a film he can 'relate' to. This naturally makes it hard to value against his other screenplays.
Sam Rockwell stars as an increasingly ambitious game show impresario Chuck Barris who (as claimed by the real Barris) is a hitman for the CIA on the side. What could've been a bizarre stranger-than-fiction adaptation of Barris' memoir is told in a rather straightforward yet entertaining way.
It is definitely the least odd and most matter-of-fact film in Kaufman's filmography which you can probably attribute to Clooney's edits. That being said, Rockwell is exceptional as the extravagant showman who has a talent for murder. Rockwell is certainly more appreciated now but at the time, this would've been a significant role to raise his profile.
Overall, the film just doesn't feel like a Kaufman film which is a shame. If Kaufman's script was shot as it was written, then perhaps a lot more people would have heard of Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.