Burn After Reading Review
I bet Jerry Seinfeld would love Burn After Reading. It’s a movie about nothing, and it knows it, going as far as telling us during the final scene. But dammit, no one does nothing better than the Coen’s. They fill the entire 90 minutes of Burn After Reading with unique, hilarious characters who, even if you don’t like them, win you over with earnestness. For instance, Brad Pitt isn’t just stupid in this movie. He’s operating on a 3rd grade level. George Clooney isn’t just an adulterer, he’s a chronic adulterer with accessories. And John Malkovich is, well, John Malkovich, but drunk.
Hit the stupid jump for the full review!
The story revolves around a low level CIA employee’s inconsequential memoirs falling into the hands of two very dumb people looking to cash in with a little bribery. The plot is unimportant though, just a device to get these characters interacting. It’s got a lot in common with The Big Lebowski with the exception that there really isn’t one sympathetic character (except maybe JK Simmons, whose character seems utterly baffled and inconvenienced by the proceedings). Everyone in this movie is self-serving. Not even Frances McDormand’s just-past-her-prime gym trainer who desperately wants plastic surgery can endear herself to the audience. She’s so focused on regaining her beauty and youth, she ignores those who adore her for who she is. At least in Lebowski, you felt for the Dude’s plight. Burn After Reading opts to drop The Dude, and instead fills the movie with a bunch of Walter Sobchaks. This isn’t a terrible thing. I loved Brad Pitt in this movie, and I laughed for a good minute while he rode up his bike and locked it up before meeting with Malkovich (easily my favorite part in the movie). But again, he’s so dumb, he goes out of his way to get into trouble, therefore avoiding sympathy.
Despite the slimy, unintelligent characters, the movie is fun as hell. It’s a delicious treat seasoned with amazing actors giving amazing performances. Everyone looks like they’re having a great time, even the Coen’s, who employ their usual tricks of surprise murder, misleading plots, and quirky dialogue (Why does Clooney love floors so much?). Burn After Reading erases the bad memories of the Coen’s double-depressing run of Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty, and sits as a perfect contrast to the deadly seriousness of No Country For Old Men.
Nerd’s Favorite Moments
- Brad Pitt’s bike riding
- Brad Pitt’s reluctance to wear a suit
- Any time JK Simmons is on screen
- Clooney’s “present” to his wife, and his sheer excitement during its reveal.
- Great character performances. I haven’t even mentioned Tilda “Ice Queen” Swinton or the guy who played her divorce lawyer!
Nerd’s Qualms
- No sympathetic character.
- Sidewinder plot that starts to eat itself after a while.
- Abrupt ending. Despite not liking anyone, I wanted to spend a bit more time with them. What’s wrong with me?
