Burn After Reading: a solid effort
Thu 23 October 2008
Brett Ornstein, English Literature
The Coen brothers’ latest film Burn After Reading is a dark comedy which proves intriguingly unique just as their other films (The Big Lebowski, Fargo).
The film is loaded with veteran actors such as George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton, and John Malkovich, and takes place the metropolitan Washington D.C./Virginia area. It revolves around a recently fired CIA intelligence agent (Malkovich), who is going through a divorce with his wife (Swinton), who is consequently having an affair with another former government employee (Clooney). She is attempting to steal information on her husband’s government job to begin the divorce. However, the burnt CD that she makes containing the details of his job gets lost and falls into the wrong hands.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Hardbodies gym’s clueless and non-threatening personal trainer (Pitt) obtains this burnt CD and takes it to the Russian embassy with a fellow co-worker (Frances McDormand). In attempts to use the CD as blackmail, the two hope to be paid off, in which they will use the money for cosmetic surgery.
The plot is boarder line ridiculous, but works extremely well. The humour of the film revolves around generally non-humorous topics, such as the infidelity of marriage, the insecurity of body image, and even death. The Coen brothers intertwine two seemingly separate groups of people (upper class government employees and middle class gym instructors), and has them all obliviously connected.
All of the actors fit their characters perfectly, and the most refreshing aspect of the film is seeing two huge Hollywood stars (Pitt and Clooney), play a moron and self-obsessed sex-fiend, a departure from their usual acting roles. Although the film is very enjoyable, it proves not to be the Coen brothers’ strongest effort. Considering this film most likely won’t win any Academy Awards like their last film did (No Country for Old Men), it still comes highly recommended.
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