Time after time and the more films of theirs that I immerse myself in, I find the movies of the Coen Brothers to be absolute treasures. While not all of them stick with me as much as others, this one has definitely become a new favorite of mine. Burn After Reading is an excellent comedy crime film that not only continues the offbeat style of these pair of directorial brothers but even improves on it with the amazing cast and story. I can not believe that this film is not hyped up as much as it should be; the entire story is relentlessly entertaining from beginning to its hilariously clarifying end (with a goofy Brad Pitt taking charge). This absolutely loaded cast of characters and the quick, witty script, also penned by the two, pave the way for such an interesting take on the crime genre and an unforgettable story.
Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) is an ex-CIA agent who, after getting fired from his job, decides to write a memoir exposing many secrets of the organization. When a disc containing all of his private information accidentally lands in the hands of gym employees Linda (Frances McDormand) and Chad (Brad Pitt), they decide to blackmail him but end up getting caught in a hilarious and interweaving web of lies and deceit. After tackling various sub-genres, Burn After Reading reveals itself as the Coen Brothers' take on the crime drama. Injected with their witty dialogue and unbeatably clever humor, this satire on the genre is a hilarious look at how the lives of many different people can come at the strangest crossroads. Every character in this film was connected in one way or another, whether they were working with each other or screwing each other. When this crazed cast ended up colliding, it made for some of the funniest and most iconic scenes I could have asked for. Throughout this movie, the one character who seems to be the glue to hold everyone together, however, is Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney). Clooney plays the distinctively perfect whore that not only cheats on his wife, but with multiple women at the same time. This simple aspect of his character made the audience feel rightfully spiteful towards him but it was honestly necessary to bring this plot together. Clooney's performance was as perfect as his character was horrible and he stole every scene that he was in. Along with him and an absolutely goofy Brad Pitt, this whole cast was fantastic. Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, and Richard Jenkins were all amazing and despite their roles feeling a bit type-cast, at least they knew what they could do best.
No matter what storyline they were tackling, I love how the Coens aim to follow the conventions of the genre and then shatter your expectations by going in the other direction. This is such a classic yet perfect form of storytelling that the Coens have undoubtedly mastered. My favorite aspect of Burn After Reading, however, begins once the head of the CIA (J.K. Simmons) is introduced. Throughout the entirety of this movie and as the events unfolding were getting more frantic and more disorganized, I began to wonder what the point of it even was. The subplots of all of these characters and their motivations begin to get very fuzzy and it became very unclear as to what was happening between them all. However, once J.K. Simmons' character is brought in, he acts as a sort of narrator to tie it all together. Even he was confused as to what was happening and his hysterical performance makes this film completely worth it. I was honestly preparing myself to be disappointed by the film's lack of coherence, but the self-awareness that is infused into the story towards the end makes the movie that much funnier. It almost felt like a subtle jab at Tarantino's trademark, non-linear work, but I absolutely adored the almost meta-narrative that the Coens went for. My only issues with this film are that the characters did not seem to have a satisfying ending at all. I know that Simmons' character was there for that exact reason, but if he was introduced earlier on in the film, it could have led to a much more full-circle and powerful ending. And the fact that Brad Pitt exited from the story in a horrendously shocking way was not welcome at all, as I could watch his hilarious character dance around the screen for another hour.
Burn After Reading is not just Brad Pitt's most energetic and funniest performance, but it might as well be one of the Coen Brothers' best. This film is truly nonstop fun, even when the story takes some turns that you were not quite expecting. Even if you are or are not a fan of the Coen Brothers, I would definitely recommend this film as it provides the perfect blend of endless laughs and surprisingly shocking drama.
My Rating: ★★★½
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