Why George Clooney is my favorite movie star

George Clooney

I caught The Monuments Men this week. A decent movie, not a great one -- the kind you admire more than you enjoy. But late in the film there's a scene where George Clooney's character dresses down a Nazi soldier that reminded me why he's my favorite movie star working today.

He has this twinkle in his eye that the great, legendary movie stars had. There's a wit and yes, an intelligence behind those eyes. I find myself trusting him as an actor and as a filmmaker and even when one of his films disappoints me, I'm always in line for his next one because on the whole his taste is impeccable.

Sure, he's ridiculously handsome and he seems to get better looking with age and there's a part of me that I admit wants to be him. But I also think he is an amazing talent and he has the same appreciation for the cynical cinema of the '70s that made me fall in love with film when I was a little kid.

I'll never forget fighting for the VCR with my older brother so I could watch All the President's Men, something tells me Clooney can relate to that inclination. With so many of my favorites faltering or failing to age gracefully he keeps delivering and stretching as a performer. My favorite performances of his, in no particular order:

Michael Clayton (2007): If Daniel Day-Lewis hadn't given the performance of his career that year in There Will Be Blood, Clooney's performance as a broken down legal "fixer" would have been a shoo-in. He reminds me of Paul Newman this movie, a former golden boy who is taciturn and just trying to keep his footing. There are so many great performances in this underrated thriller but Clooney is the anchor.

Up in the Air

Up in the Air (2009): It's hard to pick one but this may be the definitive Clooney performance. He is just oozing charm in this as a solitary man tasked by corporations to fire people across the country. He's self deprecating and sexy but there's also a real sadness to this role as well. It's a minor miracle that this very prescient film was commercially successful in the height of the Great Recession.

O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000): This one is just a hoot and it's fun to see a big A-list leading man be willing to make such a fool of himself. I still find myself quoting lines from his quest to find the perfect hair gel ("I'll take a dozen hairnets!") all while trying to woo back the love of his life. I am big fan of the silly Coen Bros. movies, and it's one of their best.

The Descendants (2011): Clooney was robbed for best actor this year. In fact Alexander Payne's lovely ode to a family losing a loved one should have won best picture over the vastly overrated The Artist. This is the most moving performance he's even given and every time I see it I'm astonished that such a big, glamorous movie star is actually believable as a put-upon father struggling to raise two headstrong girls.

Syriana (2005): The movie that did win him the Oscar is never given as much credit as it deserves. A very bold film for its time (in the height of Bush era Islamophobia) that dared to portray American complicity in the radicalization of the Middle East. Clooney's performance is the heart of the film and the one that haunts you after the credits roll.

Ocean's Eleven (2001): I am a huge fan of the whole trilogy (even Twelve) but this is the one that started it all. This film cemented the Clooney persona -- suave, debonair and always one step ahead. Only he could front this fantastic assortment of stars and character actors and I'm just a sucker for heist movies.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Out of Sight (1998): Speaking of heists, this crime film really put Clooney on the map as an actor and brought the great Steven Soderbergh out of obscurity. I love Get Shorty and Jackie Brown but this just might be my favorite Elmore Leonard movie adaptation to date. Even Jennifer Lopez is good in it.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009): Wes Anderson said he cast Clooney in the lead role because he wanted an actor who was unquestionably heroic. I'll buy it. This fast-paced romp is one of my favorite Anderson movies and a genuine ode to classic storytelling and animation. Clooney imbues his character with a rascally spirit but also a gracious heart.

Three Kings (1999): Another great film that was ahead of its time and managed to find a measure of commercial success against the odds. This one had a troubled production (Clooney and director David O. Russell reportedly came to blows at one point) but the end result is a startling, darkly funny anti-war film which perfectly encapsulates the oddness of the first Gulf War and in some ways predicts the infamous one that followed.

The Ides of March (2011): So far my favorite of the films Clooney has directed (although I am a big admirer of Good Night and Good Luck). As a political junkie this film didn't tell me anything I didn't already know but it just dramatized it so effectively. And as lover of great acting -- he got top shelf work from Ryan Gosling, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman and himself. Clooney is totally credible as a charismatic (and ultimately corrupt) presidential candidate.

Following the success of Gravity, which is his biggest hit to date, Clooney appears to be riding higher than ever. For me, The Monuments Men was a bit of a letdown, but I am eagerly anticipating his next project -- a big budget sci-fi adventure called Tomorrowland. Why? Because Brad Bird is directing it and with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol he proved he can really wow you with movies of scale.

Not bad for a guy that could have simply gone down as the world's worst Batman.