Very Confusing Movie

Rating: 5/10 (7 March 2018)

Burn After Reading is a dark comedy directed by Joel Coen and his brother Ethan Coen. Burn After Reading has a score of 66 on Metacritic, 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a three out of four by Roger Ebert. The idea that the Coens are trying to convey is how plans can go incredibly wrong. One example is when one of the protagonists, Osborne Cox, plans to write a memoir of his time in the CIA. This plan, however, goes astray and ends with Cox being put into a coma. Another example of plans going awry in Burn After Reading was when Chad Feldheimer plans to "give" Cox's memoir back for a sum of money. His plan also goes horribly wrong, and Feldheimer is shot in the head.
The plot of Burn After Reading is confusing; it is often interrupted by the comedic element of the movie. Linda Litzke is a protagonist, and her dates are often made fun of as a joke. This becomes confusing when Litzke goes on a date that is important to the plot. This scene, however, is easily ignored because we expect her date to be a joke. This makes the rest of the plot after this scene confusing because it isn't made clear that the date isn't a joke. The plot is also confusing because the acting appeared forced and characters had no motivation for their actions. One example is when Feldheimer tracks down Cox it is for no purpose except to advance the plot.
Even with its flaws, Burn After Reading has marvelous cinematography; its camera cuts are perfectly timed and precise. One scene that displays the quality of the cinematography is the opening shot. The camera lowers from the sky into a building and seamlessly cuts into Cox walking down the hall as if it is all a single shot. I give Burn After Reading five out of ten stars because, despite the excellent cinematography, the plot is confusing and is advanced by actions that made no sense. Burn After Reading is a complex but confusing movie that I suggest you not watch.