Burn After Reading is dark, funny, and solidly smart with a wise direction

Rating: 8/10 (25 August 2016)

This satirical dark comedy isn't terribly astonishing or groundbreaking in any way, but being another outing from the Coen Brothers, the masterminds behind films like 'Blood Simple', 'Raising Arizona', 'Fargo', 'The Big Lebowski', and their most critically acclaimed 'Fargo'; it is difficult to resist the curiosity of this darkly funny picture. From beginning to end, it comes clear that Joel and Ethan Coen still have the smart and talent they brought have to the screen since their debut in 1984 with Blood Simple. Starring an all-star cast of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, and Tilda Swinton; this intelligent dramedy piece mixes the directors' signature style of humor and violence, with a decently crafted plot to keep viewers engaged. In the end, viewers will have experienced another triumphant piece of cinema by the efforts of the Coen Brothers. The film enters John Malkovich as Osbourne Cox, a Balkan CIA agent who is resigned from his position due to his alcoholism, and decides his best chance of making money is through starting a writing career. He types up a memoir of his life and saves it on a disc which is unexpectedly found in the hands of Fitness manager Linda Litzke (played by Frances McDormand) and her assistant Chad Feidheimer (played by Brad Pitt). The two dimwits make a desperate attempt to sale it for money, but end up involved a series of unfortunate circumstances including a dangerous encounter with Harry Pfareer (played by George Clooney), a man who Osbourne's wife Katie (played by Tilda Swinton) is secretly seeing.
If you've followed through the Coen Brothers' filmography, you are likely to be aware of some their trademarks including their aestheticization of dark, morbid humor and idiosyncratic characters -- both of which are encompasses in this; and like in their previous work, it is all done with the directors' beautiful writing and style of direction. The plot, though nothing special, is beautifully crafted and moves at an appropriately steady pace. As the plot goes on, it spends just enough time to develop the not-so-smart characters while setting up some unpredictable thrills that are bound to take you by surprise, some of which end in bloody results. While there isn't too much thrills to experience, there are a fair amount of laughs to endure not just from the darkly humorous dialogue through the characters' stupidity in confronting dangerous situations. Yes, the characters are dumb and the movie is aware of this, but they're also charismatic thanks to the Coen Brothers ingenious writing. Frances McDormand, Joel Coen's wife and frequent collaborator of the brothers' filmography, comes out on top above the cast, delivering an endearing performance; perhaps even more so than her Oscar-winning as the pregnant police chief in 'Fargo'. This actress bring immense charm and humanity to her character. By the end, it is say safe she steals the show. Brad Pitt is also very appealing in his role, both funny and intriguing in a way that makes his character not stand out, but decently likable. George Clooney and John Malkovich are also granted their time to shine here, and the same can be expressed about Tilda Swinton as the wife of John Malkovich's character. While I can't say their performances fall in the Oscar calibur, they are with all honesty, difficult not to admire.
Burn After Reading is immensely entertaining with tremendous performances, an engrossing direction by Joel and Ethan Coen, a beautifully crafted plot, and a fair share of hilarity mixed with a dark atmosphere. This movie offers just another decent opportunity to experience the extravagant filmmaking that makes the Coen Brothers two of the most acclaimed filmmakers in the realm of cinema. In fair words, this one is definitely recommended.