Okay film, but disappointing for a Coen Brothers work

Rating: 7/10 (10 July 2009)

Burn After Reading was an okay film in some regards. The plot was very intricate and thought out, and the film had a lot of potential, but I personally thought it fell a bit short in actually delivering what it could have.
The characters weren't very well-developed. Compared to the Coen Brothers other movies, in particular the Big Lebowski, most of the characters in Burn After Reading (especially Osborne Cox) didn't get enough time on the screen for their character to blossom. Instead, it's like we just caught a glimpse into the characters without actually understanding every little nuance of them.
Also, there were a few scenes which weren't filmed but mentioned in the scenes where the two CIA officers discuss the situation as it is unfolding. Some of these scenes, such as Pfarrer's flight to Venezuela and Cox's pseudo-death could have made for very interesting scenes, but were simply ignored outside of casual references at the end. Like I said earlier too, a lot of the characters seemed underdeveloped, and quite a few extra scenes could have definitely been scripted.
That leads me to the script, which wasn't that great. It had its moments that were okay, but in general the script didn't have the same uniqueness of other Coen Brothers films. It lacked a lot of their originality and quirkiness, and really I can't think of any truly great quotes from it the same way as I can films like the Big Lebowski.
In short, the plot was sort of quirky and funny; the script and characters had the potential to be so, but in the end they just weren't. After watching it, I feel like I tuned in late and missed part of the film or just saw a really long trailer. I don't feel like I really saw a completed Coen Brothers film.