ByThe Coen Brothers present us with the most nefarious, absurdly idiotic, and intensely repulsive characters, yet somehow manage to make us fall in love with them. This is true of all the Coens’ films, and Burn After Reading is no exception.
This zany comedy is about as far from the massively successful bloodfest, No Country For Old Men (2007) as possible, with the exceptions being the superb character development and bitingly funny and often poignant dialogue.
The first of these “can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em” characters is CIA systems analyst Osborne Cox, played snobbishly by John Malkovich. Cox has issues, but seems to believe wearing a bow tie and acting like a liturgical SOB nullifies them. Malkovich plays this cankered soul with precision as only he could.
We soon find out that Cox’s recent firing from the CIA is the least of his worries when a top secret file of his falls into the hands of two bumbling meat-headed personal trainers (Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt) who attempt to blackmail him with its sensitive contents. Pitt is charming as a know-nothing crack-up. He’s displayed extraordinary acting talent before in films like Se7en (1995), Babel (2006), and Fight Club (1999), but we’ve only caught fleeting glimpses of this jester which proves to be quite a treat.
McDormand is an exceptional actress, a favorite of the Coens for obvious reasons, and plays the conflicted Linda Litzke incisively. George Clooney is deceptively likable as the conspicuously vain Harry Pfarrer who quite literally is happy with any and all attention afforded him by the opposite sex; nevermind the fact that he’s already happily married. He and Litzke meet online and seem to bond. Tilda Swinton rounds out this ensemble cast as Katie, Cox’s ice cold wife, who just happens to also be sexually involved with Pfarrer. You know, the regular Coen brothers fodder.
Although the characters are developed well, the Coens leave us without a central figure. They’re focus is spread far too thin resulting in under-developed themes. It feels like several funny little stories rather than the one great story it could have been.
The plot, though skillfully crafted with its chimerically dizzying high-stakes espionage, internet dating, blackmail, random violence, love triangles, alcoholism, and plastic surgery, seems to ebb into the backdrop rather than become the driving force of the film. The over-the-top characters are an attempt to sweep this fact under the rug. It works well enough, but keeps this film from approaching the greatness of their other similiar work, namely, Raising Arizona.
I always see the Coen Brothers films because I think they are brilliant. I haven’t seen No Country for Old Men because my brother asw it and advised I really wouldn’t like it – and he knows me so I am heeding the advice. However, I want to see Burn Before Reading. I heard there was a significant uptick in the sale of sex toys because of Clooney’s character in this movie. LOL
BTW, you do realize that Frances McDormand is married to one of the Coen brothers, right?
Haha, that is funny if it’s true about the sex toys. And yes, I am aware that she’s married to Joel. I’m not so sure that’s entirely why they use her so frequently though. Of course it doesn’t hurt, but I think she just works so well in all of their films that even if they weren’t married they’d probably still use her fairly often. She’s a great actress.
It’s true — the Coen brothers always manage to make the most manipulative, evil, stupid people seem positively loveable. (Or absolutely terrifying — I’m thinking of John Goodman’s various appearances in particular.)
How to make a Coen Brothers movie:
1) Create repulsive, reprehensible characters with morally suspect motives
2) Make us sympathize with them — even care about them
3) Visit horrible and unexpected violence on at least one character
4) Manage to depict such violence as a) humorous, b) tragic or c) scary
5) Trap characters in impossible, confusing situation
6) Rescue characters from said situation in completely out-of-left-field way
Brad Pitt can be so funny, as long as he’s not taking himself too seriously… in any case, it’s about time someone made good use of his habitually spastic arm movements
Agreed, sometimes he becomes a parody of himself. Other times, he can be incredibly funny. There are a few instances in fight club that are absolutely hilarious, and he has some pretty funny moments in Snatch as well.
Haven’t even seen this one yet, but, after reading this piece, pluse these comments, it is now a “must.”
i personally did not like this movie too much or maybe i just didnt get the moral of the story :/ haha
I like this movie very much. I felt in the same way what you have written
VERY NICE! wow this blog/website is awesome!
I couldn’t really get into this movie. At the end, I actually had the same feeling as when I watched “No Country for Old Men”. I sat there in disbelief that it was over. I don’t know if that’s just a signature move for the Cohen Brothers or what, but the abrupt end just made me wish I hadn’t watched it.