the shape of things to come

Rating: 7/10 (16 November 2008)

I must say I admired Coens' cinematic productions up to and including "Fargo," but later found myself bored or unengaged by what they put through to the viewers. Their earlier style was either complete farce or a dark, brooding satire (so to speak) and it was just what the casual moviegoer needed after all those typical romance-and-cigarettes movies of the late 80s/early 90s. I, for one, did. Sadly, this dark element has mysteriously disappeared, to be replaced by an unwelcome doubtlessness. Where earlier movies posed and then withdrew unnerving, deep questions about humanity, mixing human horror (usually death and/or violence) with human idiocy ("I will destroy you!" and such), the late 90s Coen movie (outside the great "Big Lebowski") seemed to veer all the more toward an unreflexive, transparent imagery in which the comic virtually displaced all the tragic. And this was sad. Lackily, there was still enough meat in it all to suggest more good things to come, and I guess we can safely assume "Burn After Reading" prophesies a revival of the good old Coens. I certainly wish it does. The movie itself is a little uneven, but even if its form and content are sometimes undecided, it leaves a mark on the viewer. The clash between the (implicitly) unlimited power of today's secret services and the unreality of modern life's casual events produces a very striking image. And the same goes to the cast of characters, which is as disparate as you could ever imagine. Take the comedians: Pitt, McDormand; the tragic actors: Malkovich, Swinton, Clooney (for the most part); and link them through a host of undecided, unrelated, displaced people - like Malkovich's (former) superior in the CIA, or McDormand's employer. The outcome is an explosive mixture, and it is something to watch.