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1 - Three Kings
Co-written and directed by David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle), the film stars Clooney with Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube as Gulf War soldiers who set out to find some stolen gold, and end up finding people who desperately need their help. What starts out as a fun, frivolous action flick turns into an emotional, moving drama that has you on the edge of your seat, and leaves you cheering.
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2 - Gravity
This Oscar-winning flick probably should be at the top, but it seems a little weird to put a flick that’s all about Sandra Bullock at the top of a Clooney list. That being said, the out-of-this-world film is a stunning achievement in directing and visual effects, with Bullock and Clooney proving (yet again) what movie stars they are in being able to create a connection with the audience amidst a screen full of visual effects.
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3 - Ocean's Eleven
This movie is pretty much the definition of cool. It’s a bold move remaking a Rat Pack movie, but Clooney and his all-star crew actually improved on the original! Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Don Cheadle, and Andy Garcia are among the stars that join George for the ride, and instead of going goofy, they all go for a laid-back, dead-pan vibe that hits the jackpot.
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4 - Up In The Air
If you’re going to be fired, you might as well be fired by George Clooney. One of George’s most crowd-pleasing films is this comedy/drama about a cross-country traveller who delivers the difficult news to employees when big companies are downsizing. Featuring great support from Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick, all 3 actors grabbed Oscar nominations, along with a Best Picture nomination, and writing and directing nominations for Jason Reitman.
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5 - The Descendants
George’s most emotional performance ever was in this comedy-drama, co-written and directed by Alexander Payne (Sideways, Election). Clooney grabbed another Oscar nomination (and probably should have won) playing a dad trying to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife goes into a coma after a boating accident.
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6 - Out Of Sight
Before they remade Ocean’s Eleven, George teamed up with Steven Soderbergh for this crazy cool crime caper based on the Elmore Leonard novel. George plays a bank robber who gets caught up in a dangerous romance with a US Marshall, played by Jennifer Lopez. The fun flick remains J.Lo’s best work to date.
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7 - Good Night, And Good Luck
One of George’s boldest films ever was this real-life drama shot in black-and-white profiling broadcaster Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) trying to bring down Senator Joseph McCarthy. George co-wrote and directed the film, and it was a giant success. Featuring an ensemble cast including Patricia Clarkson, Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey Jr., and Frank Langella, with Clooney taking on another supporting role, the film was nominated for 6 Oscars, including Best Picture, and 2 nominations for George: Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.
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8 - O Brother, Where Are Thou?
George won a Golden Globe for his first collaboration with the Coen brothers: this offbeat comedy about three escaped convicts searching for hidden treasure in the 1930s. Clooney proved he could go beyond just being the suave leading man and get downright goofy.
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9 - Michael Clayton
Before there was Olivia Pope, there was Michael Clayton. George played a “fixer” who is hired by a law firm to help in a high-stakes class action suit. The film was nominated for 7 Oscars, including a Best Actor nomination for Clooney (the film only won 1 award: Best Supporting Actress winner Tilda Swinton). It’s a tense, thought-provoking thriller featuring one of George’s best performances.
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10 - Syriana
George packed on the pounds and picked up a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as a CIA agent in this complex and intense drama surrounding the politics involved in the oil industry. It featured multiple storylines, including one starring George’s frequent collaborator Matt Damon.
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11 - The Perfect Storm
Three years after the Batman & Robin catastrophe George rode his way to the A-list on a very big wave. Alongside Mark Wahlberg (their second film together in as many years), the two played fishermen leading a crew who have to fight for their lives after they’re caught in...the perfect storm, duh.
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12 - From Dusk Till Dawn
George’s first jump onto the big screen while still getting hearts racing on ER was this 1996 flick co-written and co-starring Quentin Tarantino. Directed by Robert Rodriguez, the flick has Clooney battling vampires in a western-like setting. It’s not exactly Oscar-worthy fare, but it got George noticed. He won Best Breakthrough Performance at the MTV Movie Awards that year.
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13 - The Ides Of March
George’s fourth directorial effort had him taking a supporting role as part of an all-star cast that included Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, and Marisa Tomei. The political drama showed the dark underbelly of the campaign trail, with George playing a governor running for President.
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14 - One Fine Day
One of George’s first big-screen leading roles while he was still on ER was this charming romantic comedy with Michelle Pfeiffer. Once again, the chemistry was key here and the former Catwoman and soon-to-be Batman had it in spades, as the duo play single parents trying to help each other out on a very busy day in New York City.
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15 - Intolerable Cruelty
The second Clooney-Coens collaboration wasn’t as successful as their first (the other is higher on the list), but this zany comedy is a winner for the red-hot chemistry between George and Catherine Zeta-Jones alone. George must have enjoyed CZJ too because she joined the crew for Ocean’s Twelve a year later.
