Burn After Reading (2008)

Really Surprised!

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Burn After Reading is a dark comedy directed by Joel Coen and his brother Ethan Coen. Burn After Reading has a score of 66 on Metacritic, 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a three out of four by Roger Ebert. The idea that the Coens are trying to convey is how plans can go incredibly wrong. One example is when one of the protagonists, Osborne Cox, plans to write a memoir of his time in the CIA. This plan, however, goes astray and ends with Cox being put into a coma. Another example of plans going awry in Burn After Reading was when Chad Feldheimer plans to "give" Cox's memoir back for a sum of money. His plan also goes horribly wrong, and Feldheimer is shot in the head. The plot of Burn After Reading is confusing; it is often interrupted by the comedic element of the movie. Linda Litzke is a protagonist, and her dates are often made fun of as a joke. This becomes confusing when Litzke goes on a date that is important to the plot. This scene, however, is easily ignored because we expect her date to be a joke. This makes the rest of the plot after this scene confusing because it isn't made clear that the date isn't a joke. The plot is also confusing because the acting appeared forced and characters had no motivation for their actions. One example is when Feldheimer tracks down Cox it is for no purpose except to advance the plot. Even with its flaws, Burn After Reading has marvelous cinematography; its camera cuts are perfectly timed and precise. One scene that displays the quality of the cinematography is the opening shot. The camera lowers from the sky into a building and seamlessly cuts into Cox walking down the hall as if it is all a single shot. I give Burn After Reading five out of ten stars because, despite the excellent cinematography, the plot is confusing and is advanced by actions that made no sense. Burn After Reading is a complex but confusing movie that I suggest you not watch.

Despite the all-star cast, regrettably, this movie doesn't deliver. If you enjoy this genre a far better movie which is superior in every way is Ruthless People (1986). Check it out instead. Having said that, there was some potential here but poor writing and slow, clumsy pacing sank what could have been a hilarious black comedy. Brad Pitt just about steals the show as the dim-witted Chad Felheimer, a character very reminiscent of Bill Pullman's "Earl" in Ruthless People. I'll be honest, the only reason I'm leaving a review for Burn After Reading is to strongly suggest everyone take a look at Ruthless People, a gem of a movie which should be analyzed and taught in movie-making school.

This gets a two because of the actors. NOT the movie, not the script, and certainly NOT for the "humor".To me, this was not very funny at all. I've read some reviews and they glowed about how it was hilarious. Really? At which point? Other than the scene where the lady who works at a gym is talking to the doctor about surgeries, it's not that funny.At the end of the movie there is a question asked. Believe me, you'll be asking yourself the same question for awhile! I hate movies with run-on plots that seem to twist in the wind and you feel like asking yourself, "why do I care?" or "why am I/did I watch this??" The other movie similar to this was "Hail Caesar!" Worthless.

Not knowing or understanding is no shame, but not being aware of these facts is.This idea is very well presented by the directors, writers and actors.All the characters except the CIA "manager" (and perhaps his go-for man) are not aware of their misinterpretation of the reality around them. They all make idiotic mistakes in this wild but intelligent "comedy of errors".Only the CIA "manager" is aware that he does not understand and will not understand the exact sequence that lead to the final consequences. This is why he asks to spare him with the little details that "everyone sleeps with everyone else", requests that the bodies will disappear and that the CIA will let George Clooney (the Treasury guy) leave to Venezuela. He understands that it is pointless to dig into all this chaos, and there is actually nothing to learn from it.So, why not give this a 10? Well, compared to "The Counselor" and "No Country for Old Men" , this movie is missing the suspense and expectation that these 2 have. Also, the plot itself (not the idea behind it) is somewhat superficial, and the "hidden" symbols and conclusions are not really hidden, so the viewer is not required to think as hard.Nevertheless, very enjoyable indeed.