"Burn After Reading": A review by a Coen Brothers' fanboy
Disclaimer: May contain spoilers. Read at your own risk! I am not responsible for any enjoyment you lose from the film as a result of reading this review.
Last year the Coen brothers adapted the book "No Country for Old Men" into a full length feature film. Their film went on to win 4 Academy awards including best picture. This year, they wrote, directed and produced a film called "Burn After Reading." Does this film live up to the high expectations we have come to expect from the brothers?
"Burn After Reading" is a movie in the vein of "Fargo" and "The Big Lewbowski." The movie starts out by telling the story of 3 seemingly unrelated characters. First we have Osbourne Cox (John Malcovich), a CIA analyst who is being demoted because he has a drinking problem. However rather than accept his demotion, Cox quits. After quiting Cox decides to write a memoir. Then we have Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney) a treasury agent, whatever the heck that means. And lastly we have Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) an employee at a gym called "Hardbodies," who wants to get cosmetic surgery to "reinvent herself." At this point you may be asking but isn't Brad Pitt in the movie? And the answer is yes! He plays one of Litzke's coworkers, Chad Feldheimer, a not too bright sorta surfer, sorta frat boy combo. All of their paths slowly begin to intertwine after Feldheimer gets a hold of a disk, which contains Cox's memoir, but he thinks is actually top secret govenment information or as he calls it "Classified Shit." This is where all the botched blackmailing begins. And in classic Coen brothers fashion they pull it off flawlessly.
Everyone does a great job portraying their unique characters. Whether it's Malcovich dropping F-bombs like crazy, Clooney acting schizophrenic, Pitt being stupid, or McDormand acting ditzy each does a great job. The acting is a bit over the top but I think that's what gives the Coen brothers films their unique charm. Each charcter has a strong personality with their own quirks. They each seem to act as a foil for the other and make the film really work.
The plot is interesting once you overlook the far fetched nature of it. There are some plot holes, such as why everyone believed the seemingly stupid Feldheimer when he said the disk had "classified shit." No one even questioned him for a second and he doesn't quite come across as the sharpest tool in the shed. But besides that the movie was entertaining. I was always looking forward to finding out what would happen next. The ending did seem a bit abrupt but after thinking about it, it fit. Each of the main characters' stories were tied up and had a resolutuon. I think my initial dissatisfaction with the ending came from wanting more. The movie really picked up speed then it was over. Just like that.
The film does manage to live up to the Coen brothers reputation. Only they could make a theater chuckle as a man gets hacked to death with an axe. Adapting "No Country for Old Men" certainly did not dull their abilities to write their own original screenplays. Albeit it, many of their movies seem to be about "normal" people who botch up crimes, which in turn have horrible yet hilarious consequences. But as the old saying goes if it ain't broke don't fix it.
Last year the Coen brothers adapted the book "No Country for Old Men" into a full length feature film. Their film went on to win 4 Academy awards including best picture. This year, they wrote, directed and produced a film called "Burn After Reading." Does this film live up to the high expectations we have come to expect from the brothers?
"Burn After Reading" is a movie in the vein of "Fargo" and "The Big Lewbowski." The movie starts out by telling the story of 3 seemingly unrelated characters. First we have Osbourne Cox (John Malcovich), a CIA analyst who is being demoted because he has a drinking problem. However rather than accept his demotion, Cox quits. After quiting Cox decides to write a memoir. Then we have Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney) a treasury agent, whatever the heck that means. And lastly we have Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) an employee at a gym called "Hardbodies," who wants to get cosmetic surgery to "reinvent herself." At this point you may be asking but isn't Brad Pitt in the movie? And the answer is yes! He plays one of Litzke's coworkers, Chad Feldheimer, a not too bright sorta surfer, sorta frat boy combo. All of their paths slowly begin to intertwine after Feldheimer gets a hold of a disk, which contains Cox's memoir, but he thinks is actually top secret govenment information or as he calls it "Classified Shit." This is where all the botched blackmailing begins. And in classic Coen brothers fashion they pull it off flawlessly.
Everyone does a great job portraying their unique characters. Whether it's Malcovich dropping F-bombs like crazy, Clooney acting schizophrenic, Pitt being stupid, or McDormand acting ditzy each does a great job. The acting is a bit over the top but I think that's what gives the Coen brothers films their unique charm. Each charcter has a strong personality with their own quirks. They each seem to act as a foil for the other and make the film really work.
The plot is interesting once you overlook the far fetched nature of it. There are some plot holes, such as why everyone believed the seemingly stupid Feldheimer when he said the disk had "classified shit." No one even questioned him for a second and he doesn't quite come across as the sharpest tool in the shed. But besides that the movie was entertaining. I was always looking forward to finding out what would happen next. The ending did seem a bit abrupt but after thinking about it, it fit. Each of the main characters' stories were tied up and had a resolutuon. I think my initial dissatisfaction with the ending came from wanting more. The movie really picked up speed then it was over. Just like that.
The film does manage to live up to the Coen brothers reputation. Only they could make a theater chuckle as a man gets hacked to death with an axe. Adapting "No Country for Old Men" certainly did not dull their abilities to write their own original screenplays. Albeit it, many of their movies seem to be about "normal" people who botch up crimes, which in turn have horrible yet hilarious consequences. But as the old saying goes if it ain't broke don't fix it.
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