Burn After Reading (2008)

Burn After Reading is a quirky spy parody directed by renowned Coen Brothers and starring a set of outstanding actresses and actors like Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, John Malkovich, George Clooney and Brad Pitt. The confusing story revolves around a retired CIA analyst who is going through a divorce. A disc with information about his finances and memoirs ends up in the hands of two idiotic gym employees who try to blackmail him. Soon, CIA agents, Russian double-agents and private detectives are watching and being watched around the analyst's house when things go berserk.The premise of the movie is quite intriguing. The story is original and filled with surprising twists and turns while also criticizing and making fun of American bureaucracy, cinema and society. However, this rather short movie takes too much time to introduce a bloated set of characters. The characters are often quite flat, predictable and stereotypical. Later on, the story develops draggingly and only the final thirty minutes quicken up the pace. The conclusion to the movie feels somewhat aborted and is mostly told and not shown which is a sign for limited filmmaking in my book. The worst thing however is that this parody just isn't funny. I'm not the most serious guy and sure like to laugh from time to time but everything this movie evoked was a tired smile in two or three scenes. There is some creative situation comedy for sure but not one single truly hilarious scene. Since there are few action scenes and only a few small doses of suspense, this movie is only kept alive by its quirky characters and story.On the positive side, Burn After Reading has a mostly original script and offers memorable scenes with plenty of strange situation comedy you will remember long after having watched this film. The actresses and actors are also delivering the goods and very convincing as they manage to make the most of their one-dimensional characters. John Malkovich is brilliant as disillusioned analyst, Tilda Swinton convinces as his cold-hearted wife, George Clooney mesmerizes as lying womanizer, Frances McDormand excels in her role as hectic gym employee who makes all the wrong decision and Brad Pitt is quite amusing as dim-witted sportsman who is constantly and stupidly singing and smiling.In the end, you can give this film a try if you know and like the aforementioned actresses and actors as well as other movies by the Coen Brothers who certainly have their very own style. If one leaves out the brilliant actresses and actors as well as the situation comedy, one gets a movie with a confusing story line that just isn't funny though. I would recommend this flick if there really isn't anything else on television on a rainy night but it's overall slightly overrated.

The dialogs in this movie are taken directly from a humor's God. They are so funny that I'm not even laughing. They take a breath away from me )) Those exchanges of words between CIA officers in particular. Besides humor (or thanks to that) I can see one simple thought: nothing that people do is worth of anything. Their mind doesn't understand that but their subconsciousness does. That's why the allogamy is the only thing left to them. And a good portion of laugh by looking in the mirror.

Really liked this movie based on its simplicity of its characters and plot. Lots of people expected action and drama cause it had major Hollywood stars. The great thing about this movie is it felt so real to watch broken characters engaging other broken characters with real life problems like job washout, aging, adultery and best of all entitlement.All the characters felt very real and all were flawed to a point you weren't rooting for anyone. Very rare and refreshing just to sit back and watch.What I took away from this flick was the fact the Big Government really had no idea what the hell was going on and Hollywood loves to make Big Government the all knowing enemy. The last 2:50 of this movie rank up there with great Coen brothers endings.I feel people wanted more Hollywood which like usual they didn't do.

It's been awhile since I've watched a film where I immediately think to myself "...ok, so what did I actually take away from that experience?". Apart from intelligence agencies knowing everything about everyone, potential divorcees gaining stalkers and the idiocy of suburban humans, I really didn't see much point to this. Having said that, its competently made and a pleasant watch. Explaining the plot is like battling Bobby Fischer at chess, you just don't do it. If you like the Coens, ensemble casts and dark humour then go for it and I'm sure you'll have a good time. But basically a bunch of people seemingly (or coincidentally...) are linked with a secret document being misplaced. Where might you ask? Just at the local fitness suite, no biggie. So the staff members hold the proposed recipient at ransom who's wife is cheating on a guy who's wife wants to divorce him but he is seeing other people in which one of them is a staff member at the gym and blah blah blah. It's all mental crazy stupid fun, but to a point where none of this is believable. Is that part of the humour? I guess so. Heck, all I wanted to see was John Malkovich shout profanity at everyone, in which he did so I was pleased. Brad Pitt was surprisingly funny. Frances McDormand had some of the best lines in what was a consistently witty script. George Clooney throws a dildo at the wall in a rage. Tilda Swinton was...present. Richard Jenkins was underused. Finally, JK Simmons leaves us with a summary of what we learnt: "nothing. Or atleast never to do it again". Whilst all the above performances were good with a darkly humorous script and solid direction from the Coens...it just felt messy. The first half which introduces all of our characters spontaneously really wasn't engaging at all. Consistently switching between everyone without establishing a plot. It's only when the characters start connecting that we ourselves connect with the story. However, with all the lunacy and outlandish events the film just abruptly ends. Underwhelming.