George Clooney could sail through life and movies solely on his looks, and does a pretty good job of that sometimes. But what I love about this guy is occasionally that he'll drop the tailored suits, righteous causes and debonair air for a goofy role that he'll somehow make cooler than it should be.

I'm thinking of O Brother, Where Art Thou, Three Kings, maybe even Spy Kids 1and 3, when Clooney made cornpone dumb, insubordinate greed and childish derring-do downright artful. I'm also thinking of the movie I'm seeing this morning, The Men Who Stare at Goats. Love that title.

Clooney superbly shows his "serious" side Dec. 25 with Up in the Air -- which, coincidentally, I'm working on a story about today, too -- but this satire supposedly based on fact looks like a fun way to begin the week. Hey, any movie with Jeff Bridges looking like the Dude wearing an U.S. Army uniform certainly will abide.

Enjoy.