Burn After Reading (2008)

O Masterpiece
O Excellent
X Good
O OK
O Mediocrity
O Avoid

Review by Jason Pyles / September 12, 2008

Let’s get one thing straight: I’m not a Coen brothers apologist, but let’s remember that their last movie received Best Picture — not to mention their ambiguous receipt of the Best Director Oscar — at the Academy Awards, so we’re all bound to have lofty expectations for this next film.

That’s what happened to M. Night Shyamalan after “The Sixth Sense” (1999), and he’s never been received the same way since, nor do I think his films have been viewed fairly because of it. Yes, I am a Shyamalan apologist.

And another thing about the Coens’ new flick: “Burn After Reading” is intended to be a comedy, a farcical parable, a scathing satire. So, let’s be wise and not hold it up against the likes of “No Country for Old Men.” We’d be talking about apples and oranges.

Not quite as silly as “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (2000), “Burn After Reading” ridicules and rebukes the U.S. government and its intelligence program, namely the CIA, by highlighting the fallibility of human nature. The directors’ overarching statement seems clear: Crazy things will happen when we allow imperfect people to make life-or-death decisions that affect other imperfect people.

And we can tell that the Coens and their cast are being playful, mostly, except for a couple “No Country … ” or “Fargo-like” surprises that wake us up. But it’s not that the movie is boring, per se. “Burn After Reading” is expressly casual, however. Its characters meander around, making mischief as they mingle. The attention-getting action doesn’t kick in until about 60 minutes into the film, at which point, we only get about 36 minutes more of Coen-caliber filmmaking to enjoy.

“Burn After Reading” is a multi-character, multi-sub-plot entanglement whose general themes are primarily adultery and blackmail. Taking care not to spoil anything, I’ll vaguely sketch the main characters: Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney) is a U.S. marshal and womanizer whose scariest romantic association is with a human barracuda, Katie Cox (Tilda Swinton). Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) is a demoted CIA analyst whose disc of private information falls into the hands of Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand), and her dimwitted co-worker, Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt).

Basically, “Burn After Reading” is like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube, you twist and turn colors on one side and it affects all the other sides. These characters affect one another in much the same way.

When it’s all said and done, “Burn After Reading” is a Coen brothers film, and therefore, should not be missed … but that’s not to say that renting it wouldn’t be sufficient.

Directed by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
George Clooney / Brad Pitt / John Malkovich
Comedy / Crime 96 min.
MPAA: R (for pervasive language, some sexual content and violence)

U.S. Release Date: September 12, 2008
Copyright 2008: 312