Brilliance shines once again in the Coens territory

Rating: 9/10 (11 October 2008)

Throughout the '90s, Joel and Ethan Coen churned out riveting, unpredictable films that defied categorization, culminating in the musical-comedy-odyssey O Brother, Where Art Thou? in 2000. After that, the quality and quantity of their output dropped off until the critically acclaimed masterpiece, No Country for Old Men, last year, followed by Burn After Reading this year. While the former was the Coens' most serious work to date, the latter harkened back to the offbeat humor and trademark quirkiness of their '90s gems in a way that was fresh and deceptively frivolous. With Brad Pitt, George Clooney and John Malkovich, Burn After Reading certainly pulls together the heaviest star-studded cast ever assembled by the Coen brothers, who previously tended to work with a troupe of immensely talented lesser knowns, like Steve Buscemi and John Turturro. It remains to be seen if the film will achieve the recognition or cult following of the duo's most beloved dark comedies like Fargo and The Big Lebowski, but it certainly should. At its essence, Burn After Reading is an exploration of greed, selfishness and alienation. With a spotlight on failing marriages, "me-first" protagonists and meaningless encounters, the film delves into the ludicrous ways people forge or fold relationships in today's world of demanding work schedules, cyberspace, gyms and self-improvement. Big deal, right? Many films focus on those issues. But what makes Burn After Reading unique and brilliant is the way it pushes mundane domestic issues toward the realm of CIA files, covert operatives and unforeseeable violence--all with the Coen brothers' trademark comedic quirks. To weave the plot, the Coens avoid a central character, and drive the pace of the narrative through several key figures: Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich), Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) and to a lesser extent Katie Cox (Tilda Swinton) and Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt).
After a dramatic camera shot descending from space into CIA headquarters, the film opens with Osbourne, a mid-tier analyst, stepping into his manager's office. He is being moved off an important case because he has a drinking problem. Ensuring his termination, Osbourne reacts with rage that he sustains throughout the film. He then goes home and fixes a drink. Osbourne gets an earful when he tells his bossy wife, Katie, that he is fired. We soon learn she is sleeping with Harry, and we soon learn that he loves his wife but will sleep with almost anyone he meets on a dating website. Meanwhile, Litzke is dating, too, but is obsessed with the prospect of plastic surgery, which she sees as the key to meeting a quality man and ultimate happiness. Litzke and her sidekick Feldheimer come into possession of a mysterious CD documenting intelligence findings, which had been left at their place of employment, Hardbodies. Katie's divorce lawyer had asked her to copy files from Osbourne's computer, and the lawyer's employee lost the CD at the gym. The rest of the film goes in unforeseeable directions. What a complex web the Coens weave.
While no character is totally sympathetic, Osbourne is probably the easiest to identify with. Though his rage can be a turnoff, it's easy to understand. He has been called into his boss' office and faced challenges with his cold wife as well as unfair demands from others in the film. But even if the audience can relate to Osbourne, characters are too quirky and unsympathetic overall, so Burn After Reading must survive more on the narrative flow and bizarre humor of the Coen script than on the audience finding common ground with any protagonist. Yes, two of the most charismatic actors ever to appear on screen have major roles in the film, but the Coen brothers make them into very odd creatures. Feldheimer is especially slow. Litzke is not much brighter. The actors show remarkable skill in adapting to the Coens' needs and turning in offbeat, performances. The role of Pfarrer is similar to Clooney's suave yet superficial character in O Brother, Where Art Thou, but Pitt's character is truly a first for him and he achieves a quirky yet understated demeanor that, while odd, seems to work for Feldheimer. No doubt it is not what audiences expect to see when they tune in for a Brad Pitt movie, and many of his fans will be disappointed with the film. But that's fine. No one should go into Burn After Reading expecting something ordinary.
A-rate cast and superb performances by all makes this compelling viewing. Catch J K Simmons as the head of CIA - the most "clueless" of all.