An auspicious debut for George Clooney to the ranks of directorship of a major, influential movie that captures many elements of great movie making. His flair for different images, documentary style scenes interspliced with dramatic scenes and great lighting effects makes for a riveting, suspenseful and sometimes humorous movie with a great twisted ending the recalls the intrigue of past classics. A nearly paranoid, schizo-mesmerizing trip into the weird and strange mind of Chuck Barris. Sharp acting, especially from Julia Roberts, Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore. This one will go down in the books as the start of a new appreciation for taking the lessons of the past great suspense, dramas and putting them into one movie. Nine out of Ten.