Burn After Reading: The j suN Review
DID I REALLY JUST SEE THAT HAPPEN!
So… Seems like that is the big thing in all of the Coen Brother’s movies. Well i guess that’s not all of it… Usually there is a ton of humor that tries to sneak in just under the radar, then that OH MY G… moment where everything changes. Burn After Reading is no exception. You do need to go in with certain expectations though. To see a Coen Bros. film you need to know if they have your sense of humor, then you need to know if you are open to seeing the subject cast in a that humorous light. That said, i guess i should get to the subject.
Well, i guess the subject is the CIA, but just like every C-Bs. film the real subject is the characters. The plot, setting etc. all get relegated to supporting cast roles and I wouldn’t have it any other way. You have your uptight CIA analyst that just lost his job and has anger issues, played by the ever impressive John Malkovich. There’s the lonely fitness club manager with a destroyed physical self-image, played by the C-Bs. film veteran Frances McDormand. A enthusiastic but slightly slow personal trainer, played by Brad Pitt. Finally there is the clueless, ego driven U.S. Marshall, played by George Clooney. There are more characters that are fleshed out with infinite care and humor, but I’d be typing all day if i gave them all credit here. With all these characters there is one thing to bear in mind. You need to decide if these are character’s flaws are something you are willing to laugh at. There is a story, but the real plot is how all of these characters flaws feed off each other and go out of control.
If you are ready for this type of story, you will have tons of humor sitting in front of you. Every line is great, and reveals the character’s essence, but the quality of the acting an direction gives just as much enjoyment from simple facial expressions. McDormand is a real treat to see, especially after seeing Fargo, because almost every facial expression is identical, but completely new at the same time. The blank stares and enthusiastic smiles translate so much differently between a shallow self-loathing person and a confident thorough one. Its a treat to see. Every character is handled with the same amount of effort and care. A simple fight between spouses seems like poetry, when you can observe there desperate or disappointed expressions. That is the reason I enjoy Coen movies so much.
The non-character related plot is simple, but to explain it would give away too much of the story and ruining the joy of unraveling it through these character’s eyes. I can’t do that to you all. You just have to see it.
Rated - R for good reason
Reviewed - A (93% awesome)
