Burn After Reading

Burn After Reading! Yes!

Admittedly, the Coen Brothers could write / direct an epic length movie entirely focused on ripping Band-Aids from the arms of hairy New Yorkers, and I would probably stand and applaud at the end (no, I don't actually approve of applauding movies in theaters, unless a member of the cast or crew are on hand to receive it). They really can do no wrong for me. So, with that, you can imagine that I enjoyed Burn After Reading immensely. (Thankfully, there was no bandage / hair interaction.)

This movie is great for many reasons. It's good to see the Coen Brothers return to the dark comedy, because they have such a penchant for it. There are laughs that are intelligent, not just site gags, there's gore that, even when you know it's coming, still manages to shock you. The story is solid enough to carry you from beginning to end, and it's threaded very well. The little details are always what make their movies so great, and in this, they don't forget that.

It's a lot of fun to see Brad Pitt play something other than Brad Pitt again. Don't get me wrong, I generally enjoy his movies, but the fact that he's capable of pulling off so many different characters isn't utilized as much as I think it should be. Fight Club and 12 Monkeys stand out, as does Snatch. In this, he's so off the wall, and, well, wacky, that you can't help but to love his character.

It's good to see Frances McDormand do something I find entertaining again. She's so good at what she does. John Malkovich does an incredible job, George Clooney certainly brings it in spades, and even Richard Jenkins proves again that he can pull of amazing work in a supporting role.

Now, I'll admit that this movie might be a little hard to swallow for people, following in the wake of No Country For Old Men. First, they're completely different styles. You simply can't compare the two, but if you were to try, you'd find that No Country is certainly the superior film.

I'll also admit that this is definitely not their best work. If you compare this film to Fargo, for example, you'll see some of the flaws. Certainly, there's some things about the movie that feel lax, lazy. I can't help but to feel like this movie was rushed in the hopes of getting a good reception by riding No Country For Old Men's coat tails.

However, I fully expect to see this movie up in at least a couple of categories at the Academy Awards. (Again, I'm sure the epic Band-Aid ripping movie would be an Acadamy pick as long as the Coen's had their names on it.)

Still, I can't extol enough the virtues of this movie. It's fun, witty, wacky, and simply a good time. It certainly expands the canon of the Coen's films in a positive way, and is very much worth the watch.