They obviously weren't watching their own movieLast night I was moderately excited to see the new Coen Brothers film Burn After Reading. I wondered what they could possibly follow No Country For Old Men with. Then I remembered they were quite adept at creating their own material as well as adapting others'. This, of course, is how they made their name.
In Burn, cheesy-gym employees Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand find a disc containing what they believe to be "top secret CIA shit" and attempt to use it to extort money from its source (John Malkovich) and others. Obviously the two are idiots and so, happen to be, the rest of the characters.
On the surface the film is darkly funny at times, with cringe-worthy moments of violence. It's another statement on American society with themes of paranoia and "stupid people" rife throughout. One visual in the film, the basement device you might have heard about, is just a simple sight gag.
I don't believe it, Angelina wants ANOTHER one?!
Once again, as with most Coen films, the characters are well developed and somewhat unique. They all have backgrounds rich with tempered mediocracy and failure. Each one is intellectually underdeveloped as the next. The actors of course were brilliant, as you would expect from such a cast.Frances McDormand shines as Linda Litzke (those boys, how DO they come up with these names) and channels a bit of Carol Burnett as she goes.
However, Burn After Reading fails as a film because of one simple reason: it isn't a story with flow and purpose, hell it isn't really a story about anything at all. What are movies if not modern versions of old storytellers' tales, those who would sit by the fire and earn their meals with exciting and well developed yarns about dragons, morals and gold? I'm not saying I was expecting ye olde dragon slayer here, but something would have been nice.
8675309? Yes!
I sat in the theatre waiting for my story, wondering what the Coen brothers were trying to say to me which is precisely what they wanted of course. The entire film, one waits for John Malkovich's character to absolutely snap and go on a rampage, which he predictably does. Perhaps that's a statement on our own stupidity? Damn you Coen brothers, damn you to heck.
I give Burn After Reading 2.5/5 stars. I got some enjoyment from it, but it's not a movie I would care to ever see again or really talk about with anyone. Still, a Coen fan for sure.
In Burn, cheesy-gym employees Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand find a disc containing what they believe to be "top secret CIA shit" and attempt to use it to extort money from its source (John Malkovich) and others. Obviously the two are idiots and so, happen to be, the rest of the characters.
On the surface the film is darkly funny at times, with cringe-worthy moments of violence. It's another statement on American society with themes of paranoia and "stupid people" rife throughout. One visual in the film, the basement device you might have heard about, is just a simple sight gag.
I don't believe it, Angelina wants ANOTHER one?!Once again, as with most Coen films, the characters are well developed and somewhat unique. They all have backgrounds rich with tempered mediocracy and failure. Each one is intellectually underdeveloped as the next. The actors of course were brilliant, as you would expect from such a cast.Frances McDormand shines as Linda Litzke (those boys, how DO they come up with these names) and channels a bit of Carol Burnett as she goes.
However, Burn After Reading fails as a film because of one simple reason: it isn't a story with flow and purpose, hell it isn't really a story about anything at all. What are movies if not modern versions of old storytellers' tales, those who would sit by the fire and earn their meals with exciting and well developed yarns about dragons, morals and gold? I'm not saying I was expecting ye olde dragon slayer here, but something would have been nice.
8675309? Yes!I sat in the theatre waiting for my story, wondering what the Coen brothers were trying to say to me which is precisely what they wanted of course. The entire film, one waits for John Malkovich's character to absolutely snap and go on a rampage, which he predictably does. Perhaps that's a statement on our own stupidity? Damn you Coen brothers, damn you to heck.
I give Burn After Reading 2.5/5 stars. I got some enjoyment from it, but it's not a movie I would care to ever see again or really talk about with anyone. Still, a Coen fan for sure.
