Burn After Reading Review

Posted by Chad Webb on 09.15.2008

The Coen brothers' follow-up to their Oscar victories is not only intriguing, but funny as hell.

George Clooney: Harry Pfarrer
Frances McDormand: Linda Litzke
Brad Pitt: Chad Feldheimer
John Malkovich: Osborne Cox
Tilda Swinton: Katie Cox
Richard Jenkins: Ted Treffon
David Rasche: CIA Officer
J.K. Simmons: CIA Superior
Olek Krupa: Krapotkin
Written/Directed By: Joel and Ethan Coen
Release Date: September 12, 2008
Running Time: 96 minutes







Rated R for pervasive language, some sexual content and violence.

The Coen brothers have always understood how to space out their efforts to audiences. Following the Best Picture win for the No Country for Old Men, which was more serious in tone, is Burn After Reading, a comedic thriller. This same routine has occurred with Joel and Ethan since their debut Blood Simple. Raising Arizona was the sophomore film. Miller’s Crossing came before Barton Fink, and Fargo was trailed shortly by The Big Lebowski. They know how to maintain the interest of loyal fans, and steadily acquire new ones. Burn After Reading will not win any Oscars, but over time, the humor will age wonderfully, as only a Coen comedy could.

As is normally the case with this duo, unraveling an adequate summary, or classifying the story into any one genre is difficult. The film opens in Langley, Virgina at the CIA Headquarters with Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) being demoted due to a drinking problem. He quits instead, which upsets his wife Katie (Tilda Swinton). She is having an affair with Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), a Treasury employee who is known to scope the Internet for dates, even though he’s married himself. Meanwhile, a janitor at a gym called Hardbodies has located a strange disc in a locker. Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) and her co-worker Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt) discover potentially top secret information on this disc. Since Linda is in desperate need of money for cosmetic surgery, she and Chad elect to sell the disc to the Russians. All hell breaks lose as this scenario unfolds and the paths of the players cross.

Many have made the claim that Brad Pitt only flourishes as a performer around an ensemble cast. While I find that statement totally untrue and unfounded, Pitt is certainly the highlight of this farcical tale. He is Chad Feldheimer, a trainer with Vanilla Ice-like blonde streaks, and he always is equipped with an iPod armband. Chad’s delightfully dumb outlook on the events causes him to be one of the most likable characters. Think Donnie in The Big Lebowski for a suitable comparison. The initial phone call to Osborne Cox is one of Burn’s funniest moments. His partner for this adventure is Linda Litzke, played with just the right ingredients of eccentricity and romantic longing by Frances McDormand. She is a superb actress any day of the week, but has completed her best depictions under the tutelage of her husband, Joel Coen.

John Malkovich must underestimate his talent for tickling the funny bone because he has a natural timing that should be explored more often. Being John Malkovich is a prime example. As Osborne Cox, Malkovich expresses the frustration and anger of receiving a streak of bad luck all at once. Malkovich’s reactions are priceless, as are his wild tirades. His wife, Katie, is a snobbish woman who is used to giving orders, not taking them. She even dictates to her lover Harry. With Osborne jobless, Katie must put in motion the steps to leave him and bleed him dry of his assets. Swinton is outstanding, but is somewhat eclipsed by the brilliance of those surrounding her. George Clooney debates on whether or not to leave his true wife for Katie as Harry Pfarrer. Clooney might be overexposed as a celebrity, but his abilities are paramount in his popularity. He slides into this cast as just a key member of the group. His bug-eyed expressions are hilarious, and all I can say is look out for what he builds in his basement.

Another crucial component of any Coen comedy is that the minor to supporting class is no less uproarious than those who get first billing. David Rasche and J.K. Simmons have some of the most unforgettably hysterical scenes as two CIA Agents conversing on what exactly has transpired. Richard Jenkins, who just finished the performance of his life in The Visitor hits a homerun again as the apprehensive manager of Hardbodies, who has heard everything, but does not want to know about anything.

The humorous aspects are mixed with the suspenseful situation in a manner that strikes the viewer as slapdash and disorganized, but make no mistake, the Coens are extremely intelligent. They know precisely where and how to insert each sequence. The direction in Burn After Reading assumes a chaotic genius of amusement with slapstick, deadpan, and dark humor intertwined with the quirky characters. Once again this was edited fabulously by that enigmatic Roderick Jaynes, and the exquisitely oddball cinematography was handled by Emmanuelle Lubezki. This was the first time since Miller’s Crossing that Roger Deakins was not the Director of Photography. Carter Burwell included a very gripping and apt score amongst this frenzied plot. In addition, the art direction, set decoration, and costume design was very visually arresting. The fact that the terrific acting was accompanied by splendid colors made the movie extraordinarily funny and riveting.

It is amazing to me that every time the Coens release a film that contains a higher percentage of comedy than drama or thriller, it constantly receives lukewarm and average reviews from critics. They are positive mind you, but rarely rise above the three to three and a half star rating. For many critics, it is hard to predict how a movie will age. One would think we learned our lesson. At this point, I can safely say that Burn After Reading has a high probability of becoming funnier in future years, and never losing any of its sleazy charm. Like Martin Scorsese, the Coen film experience is one of a kind, and while not every effort is flawless, these filmmakers offer unparalleled passion every single time.

The 411: Burn After Reading deserves the superb performance at the box office. The Coens have come a long way, through bumpy roads, but have always delivered a unique film experience. This is no different, and the fact that one never can anticipate the fate of the characters is just fantastic in my opinion. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, and all the others hand in wonderful performances. Many of them are familiar with the Coens, so the innate chemistry certainly helped. Will al the jokes make you laugh out loud immediately? Probably not, but then again, when I first saw The Big Lebowski, I absolutely never expected it to become one of my favorite movies. In time, who knows how good Burn After Reading will be.

Final Score:  9.0   [  Amazing ]