Ryan McNeil
One of my passions is photography. Whenever someone complains to me that their photos are lousy, and that they would look a lot better if they used my fancy-schmancy camera, I usually unleash the same sarcastic remark: “I could give a monkey a fancy-schmancy camera. It doesn’t mean it’ll come back with a good photo”. I don’t mean to offend my less photographically talented acquaintances; my point is that the hardware isn’t everything. Sometimes something very valuable, or even seemingly valuable, can make its way into the hands of those who have no clue what to do with it. When such things happen, the results usually aren’t pretty.
The characters in BURN AFTER READING are nothing but a collection of monkeys, and I couldn’t believe what happened when they tried to use what they found.
At the centre of BURN AFTER READING is a CD of non distinct files. It’s found in the locker room of a gym and examined by gym employees Chad and Linda (Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand). Together they are convinced that they have found valuable national intelligence, and hatch a plan to blackmail the C.I.A. agent who has lost them. Linda is doing it in the hopes of getting enough money for her much sought after cosmetic surgery. Chad…well, he’s just doing it to be a good friend.
Their target is Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich). He’s an old school agent who has recently been fired, but what’s worse is that he’s been an agent for so long, he hasn’t the foggiest clue what to do with himself. Worse still, his marriage is falling apart before his eyes, as his wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) has been having an affair with a Treasury agent named Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney).
All five of these monkeys are drenched in shortcomings, but all five of them try desperately not to let anyone see them for the losers that they are. This is where things go south for all of them.
This is the first post-Oscar movie for The Coen Brothers, but bringing NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN into the conversation is unfair. The two movies couldn’t be more different, and The Coens have never been the sort to make “One of The Year’s Ten Best” every time out. This comedy won’t rank up with FARGO or O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?…but it’s far more palatteable than INTOLERABLE CRUELTY or THE LADYKILLERS. What the Coens do best here, is to stand back, and let the stupidity run wild.
Speaking of stupiity, the movie truly belongs to Brad Pitt. He plays Chad with a deft amount of dumbassery. The guy lives his life full tilt, with his handy earbuds providing the soundtrack. With a silly haircut, and an attitude that confuses enthusiasm with coolness, Pitt plays the dork perfectly and pretty much steals the movie. Well…almost.
The only person who can give Pitt a run for his money is Clooney, who plays Harry as a stupidly charming schlub. He’s fascinated by floorings, and always seems to keep talking a few moments too long. he also spends much of the movie working on a project in his basement. I won’t dare spoil what he builds, but the sort of mind that sees such an idea as a worthwhile pursuit speaks volumes about his level of oddity.
Neither Harry nor Chad have the slightest clue of just how dim they seem. What’s worse is that neither one of them realizes how much trouble their stupidity is causing. While Osbourne, Katie, and Linda are guilty of this behaviour to a lesser extent, all of them live with blinders on focused only on what they want most. sadly though, like the monkey with the fancy-schmancy camera, none of them would have any clue what to do with what they want most if theye ever got it.
About time you finally saw this movie lol. I really enjoyed this film. I saw it three times now. Funny as hell