Review: Burn After Reading

Burn After Reading (2008) || IMDb

It seems the Coen Brothers waste no time between their dominance of the Oscars (No Country for Old Men) and their next film. Burn After Reading is a spy movie that twiddles between traditional, situational comedy and the sadistic, dark humor avid Coen fans have come to love. The film may not always be 'working,' but in the end, it all works just well enough.

The plot here is scatter-brained and seemingly haphazard. There's a government analyst named Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) who is blackmailed by Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand (two employees and trainers at the gym Hardbodies) when they find a disc containing his financial information in the female locker room. Their names are Linda Litzke and Chad Feldheimer, which itself should hint that this film has no shame in the occasional cheap gag. Their motivation? McDormand wants the money for some plastic surgeries, and Pitt wants to find out what all these documents and figures are about. It seems like Pitt's character doesn't have much of a personal life, so this is his chance to practice his spy routines.

Then there is George Clooney, playing Harry, a charming man obsessed with flooring. He sleeps with every female in this film, and is also a former government employee. He carries a pistol with him all the time, though he's never had to discharge it in twenty years. Guess if he has to in this film? I wouldn't dare spoil it for you, though.

There are also plenty of affairs and divorces and unhappy characters in the film. Cox is dealing with a divorce from his wife, as well as trying to get his documents back. McDormand attempts to sell Cox's documents to the Russian government, which doesn't go over well since they're unimportant in every way.

The real charm of the film is how tight everything is. At 96 minutes, the film has no excess. And some of the greatest scenes come from J.K. Simmons, the super-superior CIA officer. His role is small, but it adds justification and an interesting perspective to not only the film, but how our government may actually work.

This film is nothing if not fun and full of surprises, the best of which comes not from left field, but from out of the park. So absurd it is, you'll know exactly when you see it what I'm talking about.

Yet in the end, it all makes sense.

Rating: 6/7