"It's more than just frivolity." -Katie
BURN AFTER READING
Well, the Coen Bros. could have rested on their laurels after winning the Oscar for last year's Best Drama, but instead they've reloaded their cameras and taken aim at becoming the Kings of Komedy, too!
3-1/4 stars [(2008)USA/FocusFeatures/Rated R] - (hr min)
Written & Directed by Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
Cast ... Characters:
John Malkovich ... Osborne Cox (CIA analyst)
George Clooney ... Harry Pfarrer (Security officer, U.S. Treasury)
Frances McDormand ... Linda Litzke (Fitness Center salesperson)
Brad Pitt ... Chad Feldheimer (Fitness Center trainer)
Tilda Swinton ... Katie Cox (Osborne's wife/Harry's mistress)
Richard Jenkins ... Ted Treffon (Linda & Chad's boss)
Elizabeth Marvel ... Sandy Pfarrer (Harry's wife/Author of Children's books)
J.K. Simmons ... CIASuperior
Review:
"Something snapped in my ass." -Gym member
If you've ever wondered what the OPPOSITE of "The Bourne Identity" would look like, then here's your chance to see stupid people going up against a somewhat smarter government.
What "Tropic Thunder" does for war movies and "Pineapple Express" did for stoner flicks, "Burn After Reading" does in spades for the spy genre in this hilariously acted and written farce.
And not a moment too soon either, what with the latest James Bond "007" adventure due out later this fall. Over-the-top comedies have been the rule rather than the exception this year, and if you've ever seen "Raising Arizona" then you already know the Coen Bros. are no strangers to broad comedy.
Best news of all is this film offers actor John Malkovich one of his best comedic roles since ... well ... "Being John Malkovich." As CIA analyst 'Osborne Cox', Malkovich fully invests the character with his trademark brand of anger originally developed on the stage of the Steppenwolf theater in "Burn This." However, in "Burn After Reading," his fury is more than justified as he's continually blindsided by his bosses, blackmailers, and cheating wife.
Recent Oscar-winner Tilda Swinton plays 'Katie", Osborne's cold-hearted, duplicitous wife. Swinton rarely gets to play comedy but here she's a hoot as a doctor with a bedside manner even colder than her 'White Witch' in the last two "Chronicles of Narnia" movies.
Katie's lover is the happily married, sex addict 'Harry Pfarrer', marvelously portrayed by a slimmed down, grizzled George Clooney (Swinton's co-star in "Michael Clayton"). Harry inadvertently becomes the hub around which most of the remaining characters begin to converge, much to his chagrin and subconscious paranoia.
Clooney's "Ocean's 11-12-etc." associate Brad Pitt seems a bit long-in-tooth (age 44) to be essaying the role of a fitness flunky, but to his credit he does capture the goofy idiocy of Hardbodies Fitness Center employee 'Chad Feldheimer' both at work and later as a blackmailer.
I could go on and on about this fantastic cast, but you're probably waiting for me to explain the clever plot ... NOT! As usual, the Coen Bros. have used their twisted imaginations to connect all the characters while taking on familiarly funny subjects like marital infidelity and governmental apathy.
See this one for yourself Coen Bros. fans, the boys are on a roll!!!
"I think I can get a run in." -Harry
MAIN crew:
Original Music by Carter Burwell
Director of photography: Emmanuel Lubezki
Editor: Roderick Jaynes
Cameo:
Dermot Mulroney ... Star of "Coming Up Daisy" (Movie playing in theater)
SOUNDTRACK info (from Movie-Moron.com):
1. Earth Zoom (In) - Carter Burwell (1:20)
2. A Higher Patriotism - Carter Burwell (1:36)
3. Linda Looks For Love (Part 1) - Carter Burwell (1:40)
4. Night Running - Carter Burwell (2:27)
5. Building The Chair - Carter Burwell (1:02)
6. Rendezvous - Carter Burwell (0:45)
7. Opportunity - Carter Burwell (1:40)
8. Plan B - Carter Burwell (1:18)
9. Seating - Carter Burwell (2:02)
10. Homeless - Carter Burwell (0:55)
11. Harry Looks For Love - Carter Burwell (0:31)
12. Breaking And Entering - Carter Burwell (3:41)
13. I Killed A Spook - Carter Burwell (1:15)
14. Honey Nut Cheerios - Carter Burwell (0:56)
15. Tuchman Marsh - Carter Burwell (1:45)
16. Carrots / Shot - Carter Burwell (1:04)
17. Linda Looks For Love (Part 2) - Carter Burwell (1:19)
18. Who Are You? - Carter Burwell (1:07)
19. How Is This Possible? - Carter Burwell (2:17)
20. Negativity - Carter Burwell (1:00)
21. The Struggle For Ebullience - Carter Burwell (1:35)
22. Intruder! - Carter Burwell (3:22)
23. Earth Zoom (Out) - Carter Burwell (1:22)
MOVIE website-http://www.filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/burn_after_reading
"Report back to me when it makes sense." -CIA honcho
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
BURN AFTER READING
Well, the Coen Bros. could have rested on their laurels after winning the Oscar for last year's Best Drama, but instead they've reloaded their cameras and taken aim at becoming the Kings of Komedy, too!
3-1/4 stars [(2008)USA/FocusFeatures/Rated R] - (hr min)
Written & Directed by Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
Cast ... Characters:
John Malkovich ... Osborne Cox (CIA analyst)
George Clooney ... Harry Pfarrer (Security officer, U.S. Treasury)
Frances McDormand ... Linda Litzke (Fitness Center salesperson)
Brad Pitt ... Chad Feldheimer (Fitness Center trainer)
Tilda Swinton ... Katie Cox (Osborne's wife/Harry's mistress)
Richard Jenkins ... Ted Treffon (Linda & Chad's boss)
Elizabeth Marvel ... Sandy Pfarrer (Harry's wife/Author of Children's books)
J.K. Simmons ... CIASuperior
Review:
"Something snapped in my ass." -Gym member
If you've ever wondered what the OPPOSITE of "The Bourne Identity" would look like, then here's your chance to see stupid people going up against a somewhat smarter government.
What "Tropic Thunder" does for war movies and "Pineapple Express" did for stoner flicks, "Burn After Reading" does in spades for the spy genre in this hilariously acted and written farce.
And not a moment too soon either, what with the latest James Bond "007" adventure due out later this fall. Over-the-top comedies have been the rule rather than the exception this year, and if you've ever seen "Raising Arizona" then you already know the Coen Bros. are no strangers to broad comedy.
Best news of all is this film offers actor John Malkovich one of his best comedic roles since ... well ... "Being John Malkovich." As CIA analyst 'Osborne Cox', Malkovich fully invests the character with his trademark brand of anger originally developed on the stage of the Steppenwolf theater in "Burn This." However, in "Burn After Reading," his fury is more than justified as he's continually blindsided by his bosses, blackmailers, and cheating wife.
Recent Oscar-winner Tilda Swinton plays 'Katie", Osborne's cold-hearted, duplicitous wife. Swinton rarely gets to play comedy but here she's a hoot as a doctor with a bedside manner even colder than her 'White Witch' in the last two "Chronicles of Narnia" movies.
Katie's lover is the happily married, sex addict 'Harry Pfarrer', marvelously portrayed by a slimmed down, grizzled George Clooney (Swinton's co-star in "Michael Clayton"). Harry inadvertently becomes the hub around which most of the remaining characters begin to converge, much to his chagrin and subconscious paranoia.
Clooney's "Ocean's 11-12-etc." associate Brad Pitt seems a bit long-in-tooth (age 44) to be essaying the role of a fitness flunky, but to his credit he does capture the goofy idiocy of Hardbodies Fitness Center employee 'Chad Feldheimer' both at work and later as a blackmailer.
I could go on and on about this fantastic cast, but you're probably waiting for me to explain the clever plot ... NOT! As usual, the Coen Bros. have used their twisted imaginations to connect all the characters while taking on familiarly funny subjects like marital infidelity and governmental apathy.
See this one for yourself Coen Bros. fans, the boys are on a roll!!!
"I think I can get a run in." -Harry
MAIN crew:
Original Music by Carter Burwell
Director of photography: Emmanuel Lubezki
Editor: Roderick Jaynes
Cameo:
Dermot Mulroney ... Star of "Coming Up Daisy" (Movie playing in theater)
SOUNDTRACK info (from Movie-Moron.com):
1. Earth Zoom (In) - Carter Burwell (1:20)
2. A Higher Patriotism - Carter Burwell (1:36)
3. Linda Looks For Love (Part 1) - Carter Burwell (1:40)
4. Night Running - Carter Burwell (2:27)
5. Building The Chair - Carter Burwell (1:02)
6. Rendezvous - Carter Burwell (0:45)
7. Opportunity - Carter Burwell (1:40)
8. Plan B - Carter Burwell (1:18)
9. Seating - Carter Burwell (2:02)
10. Homeless - Carter Burwell (0:55)
11. Harry Looks For Love - Carter Burwell (0:31)
12. Breaking And Entering - Carter Burwell (3:41)
13. I Killed A Spook - Carter Burwell (1:15)
14. Honey Nut Cheerios - Carter Burwell (0:56)
15. Tuchman Marsh - Carter Burwell (1:45)
16. Carrots / Shot - Carter Burwell (1:04)
17. Linda Looks For Love (Part 2) - Carter Burwell (1:19)
18. Who Are You? - Carter Burwell (1:07)
19. How Is This Possible? - Carter Burwell (2:17)
20. Negativity - Carter Burwell (1:00)
21. The Struggle For Ebullience - Carter Burwell (1:35)
22. Intruder! - Carter Burwell (3:22)
23. Earth Zoom (Out) - Carter Burwell (1:22)
MOVIE website-http://www.filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/burn_after_reading
"Report back to me when it makes sense." -CIA honcho
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++