2008 Woodie Awards
'Burn's' Coen brothers can do no wrong
Brian Johnson
Issue date: 10/2/08 Section: P. S.
After seeing "Burn After Reading," I certainly don't want to burn after viewing. This latest outing by the Coen brothers has proved to be as well put together as anything that they have done.
The film stars George Clooney ("Michael Clayton"), Frances McDormand ("Almost Famous"), John Malkovich ("Con Air") and Brad Pitt ("Mr. and Mrs. Smith") in a small role.
This hilarious story follows a CIA agent (Malkovich) whose wife wants a divorce and decided to copy his finances onto a disk. Somehow, the disk comes into the hands of two employees of a local gym (McDormand and Pitt) who try to ransom the contents of the disk.
However, the contents of the disk are unknown to the na've gym employees. This leads them to think that there are more important files on this disk then there actually is.
Have you followed all that? The story is a bit complex, but the zany comedy of all these actors, especially McDormand and Pitt, provide for some awkward yet hilarious moments. Any film that can have me laughing at someone's death has my respect.
Going into this, I thought there was no way they were going to credibly follow up "No Country For Old Men" which in my opinion was the best movie of 2007. While this one probably won't be winning the Best Picture Oscar any time soon, the Coens' have proven to me they can never make a bad movie.
Painted in black comedy, the film may be the funniest thing the Coen brothers have done since "The Big Lebowski." The actors have such good chemistry with one another and in turn makes their characters very compatible together.
The comedy is all in the dialogue. It shows that one doesn't need to fall on his or her face in order to get a laugh. I don't think I stopped chuckling once throughout the whole thing. There were a couple of good physical comedy moments, I must admit. I never thought I'd see the day I'd see Malkovich punch Pitt in the face.
The Coen brothers' ability to immerse the audience into a culture is better than any director.
You are thrown into about three worlds on this ride. You're in the CIA world of Washington, the hapless gym rat world and in the life of a sex addict. Sounds crazy to put all those together, but the Coens' did it.
The ending is one of the most anti-climactic, yet best conclusions to a film I've seen in a long time. Basically nothing is solved and about half the people are dead, but it somehow makes sense. Judge me all you want for that last statement, but it's the truth.
Unfortunately, half the country will be filling the theaters to see the ridiculous plot of "Eagle Eye" with the latest "it-guy," Shia LaBeouf.
However, this film shows the great directors like the Coen brothers will still be there through the garbage to find and present us with treasures like "Burn After Reading."
The film stars George Clooney ("Michael Clayton"), Frances McDormand ("Almost Famous"), John Malkovich ("Con Air") and Brad Pitt ("Mr. and Mrs. Smith") in a small role.
This hilarious story follows a CIA agent (Malkovich) whose wife wants a divorce and decided to copy his finances onto a disk. Somehow, the disk comes into the hands of two employees of a local gym (McDormand and Pitt) who try to ransom the contents of the disk.
However, the contents of the disk are unknown to the na've gym employees. This leads them to think that there are more important files on this disk then there actually is.
Have you followed all that? The story is a bit complex, but the zany comedy of all these actors, especially McDormand and Pitt, provide for some awkward yet hilarious moments. Any film that can have me laughing at someone's death has my respect.
Going into this, I thought there was no way they were going to credibly follow up "No Country For Old Men" which in my opinion was the best movie of 2007. While this one probably won't be winning the Best Picture Oscar any time soon, the Coens' have proven to me they can never make a bad movie.
Painted in black comedy, the film may be the funniest thing the Coen brothers have done since "The Big Lebowski." The actors have such good chemistry with one another and in turn makes their characters very compatible together.
The comedy is all in the dialogue. It shows that one doesn't need to fall on his or her face in order to get a laugh. I don't think I stopped chuckling once throughout the whole thing. There were a couple of good physical comedy moments, I must admit. I never thought I'd see the day I'd see Malkovich punch Pitt in the face.
The Coen brothers' ability to immerse the audience into a culture is better than any director.
You are thrown into about three worlds on this ride. You're in the CIA world of Washington, the hapless gym rat world and in the life of a sex addict. Sounds crazy to put all those together, but the Coens' did it.
The ending is one of the most anti-climactic, yet best conclusions to a film I've seen in a long time. Basically nothing is solved and about half the people are dead, but it somehow makes sense. Judge me all you want for that last statement, but it's the truth.
Unfortunately, half the country will be filling the theaters to see the ridiculous plot of "Eagle Eye" with the latest "it-guy," Shia LaBeouf.
However, this film shows the great directors like the Coen brothers will still be there through the garbage to find and present us with treasures like "Burn After Reading."
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