Burn After Reading

Rating: 10/10 (21 September 2008)

Burn After Reading is a darker comedy about several very interesting individuals who all cross paths with each other, which is not necessarily a good thing at all. We have a CIA agent who has just been fired and decides to write his lifelong memoirs, the ex CIA agent's wife who is having an affair with a womanizing playboy who is also having an affair with other women that do not include his wife and we have two dimwitted fitness trainers at a workout gym who one is pretty brain dead while the other who isn't very smart either, hatches a plan in order to raise several thousands of dollars to pay for numerous plastic surgery operations that she thinks she needs. Throw in some paranoia, the Russian embassy and the CIA and you have a lot of weird things going on. Pretty much all of the main characters I have listed for you in this film are very into themselves and in a sense they are all pretty nihilistic and with no morals or anything righteous about them. The only really kind, or nice character in it is a supporting character who works at the fitness gym. Having said that, I think that the characters are all the more interesting because of this. Burn After Reading is a very quirky comedy and I admit that within the first 15 to 20 minutes of the film, I was not really sure what would be happening, or what type of a film I had just walked into, but needless to say I liked it a lot. There have been some pretty original and unique films this year so far and I would add this one to the list as well. Everything is so over the top and unusual that I think it is hard not to acknowledge what an original piece of work this is. The actors all do a great job of playing their characters and I think that they really hold the film together because if it wasn't for this great acting ensemble, I don't think the film could have been pulled off as well as it did. Also the original script and direction makes for very entertaining viewing and this is definitely a very interesting watch. I myself am a fan of darker comedies and this one has elements of very juvenile almost ludicrous elements of comedy, yet at the same time it is also done with great writing skill and the darker elements thrown in also add a lot of neat twists, turns and surprises that for me at least, were very enjoyable and to say the least, unique. I admit that the advertisements of this film do make it look very stupid and the film deals with a lot of stupid people, but the material is razor sharp and once you watch it you will realize just how many brainy ideas and thoughts went into this film. Burn After Reading is certainly not going to be a good time for everyone, but those who enjoy the writer/director team's other efforts, should know what they are getting into and hopefully you will have an enjoyable a time as I did.