Review of Burn After Reading (2008) by Alexander C — 07 Dec 2012

''What a clusterfuck!''.

A disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous gym employees who attempt to sell it.

George Clooney : Harry Pfarrer.

What Burn After Reading results in, is one of the things the Coen Brothers to best and that is black comedy.

It equals them going back to the style of Fargo and some real character detailed figures and their relationships and bonds with each other. Not to mention them all having affairs and sleeping with each other in a confused multiple array.

What's nice is that as soon as it begins we are thrown right into proceedings with a CIA Analyst who is demoted, then he quits seeing it as a major insult. We then have him having a shot at writing and recording his memoirs that compile of his time at the CIA.

Also we find his wife is having an affair, and also the man having the affair is a womanizing hot shot, who's also married and begins dating a woman at the Gym.

Things begin to hot up, going back to the Analysts memoirs, everything starts to get interesting when two Gym workers find the CD in a locker...

''Appearances can be... deceptive.''.

Performances are actually a star lit success from all the major players.

George Clooney as Harry Pfarrer, is right at home here as a bearded Law enforcer type guy, who's got all these strange allergies and attractions to alot of different women.

Frances McDormand as Linda Litzke shows us yet again she can do funny black humour like she did in Fargo. Her chemistry with Pitt & Clooney is top notch. Her marriage with Joel Coen finally seems like its paying off after this 2nd outing and her last Oscar win she secured.

John Malkovich as Osbourne Cox, the fading drinking Analyst, is such a funny character who is always swearing, having a temper and generally well versed in the ways of writing and speaking given his previous position at the CIA, this is understandable. Results in a pivotal and indeed memorable character.

Tilda Swinton as Katie Cox who is the Doctor wife of Mr Cox, shows Tilda can play the stone cold bitch, who likes her partners on a leash. Especially not just with Malkovitch but with Clooney too, who seem to have got back together since their Michael Clayton days.

Brad Pitt as Chad Feldheimer, the other Gym guy, who everyone wants to see dancing and doing his moves. He was funny I admit, but I think a little over-hyped in what people expected out of him in the movie. You're never going to believe what happens, I can assure you.

''You're a Mormon. Compared to you we all have a drinking problem.''.

Overall Burn After Reading has Comedy, it has tension when needed with thrilling music, it has a star drenched cast and a plot that really explodes into action when the ball is rolling. Once all the characters are fleshed out, things do get very interesting.

The ending with David Rasche as CIA Officer and J.K. Simmons asCIA Superior, is going to be iconic and memorable for years to come I'm thinking, it was pure genius. While No Country for Old Men had a poetic flair, Burn After Reading has a piss take of sorts on the whole intelligence Agency/Government ability to know what's going on. So what you waiting for? Go see it!

''What did we learn?''.