Burn after Reading is a tiny little movie in really baggy expensive duds. The story of a two idiots trying to black-mail an idiotic ex -CIA man is a small convoluted tale filled to the brim with unlikable idiotic characters played by big names (John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, George Clooney) doing idiotic things till the entire thing ends. Kind of. It’s complicated. But not really. Sheesh.
The Coen Brother’s sit up fresh off their massive Oscar sweep that was “No Country, Old Men” and decide to take a step back and two to the left. “After Reading” is not a drama nor is it a laugh fest. It’s just kind of giggle worthy. Rest assured, it’s nowhere near the terrible un-funniness that stunk around their recent work (“Intolerable Cruelty” “The Lady-Killers”) but neither is it anywhere near their technical slapstick epics (“Raising Arizona” and “The Hudsucker Proxy). I’m not sure the latter Coen’s exist anymore, so I’m just going to have to take a deep breath and accept it. I’ll have to be happy wBurn after Reading’s lack of a compelling plot (No one is in any danger other then the stuff they cause to themselves) is all part of the joke, so are the lack of compelling characters and the very scattershot amount of laughs during the whole thing. Brad Pitt is the undeniable ray of hilarious retarded light in all of the so-so comedy. Every line, every move and every moment he participates in is pure quotable gold. “Remember that moment when Brad Pitt…” will be the words on everyone’s lip as they leave the cinema. Which makes it a shame that he’s not in it that much. Oh! Spoiler! There are a few fantastic stand-out moments (An ending starring grump extraordinaire J.K Simmons could not be any more note perfect.) but there just aren’t enough of them to make it all work. Which is the point. I think. Ow. My brain.
I actually feel that Burn After Reading works better as a quick summary. That way, all the fat can be skipped, and the big moments can be spoiled nice and quick. But then, it isn’t as funny if is it? I’d like to tell myself that this is the kind of movie that’ll grow on me, but that would mean that I’d actually have to watch it again. Not sure if that’s going to happen any time soon. It’s burned and everything.
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