Spring Break
'Burn After Reading' continues Coen hot streak
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Issue date: 9/24/08 Section: The Edge
Something special happens when one sits down to indulge in some good, old-fashioned Coen Brothers magic. Feelings of anxiety might be present, as well as tremors of pure excitement. If there is one feeling that is for certain, it is that of satisfaction - the sense that the $7 surrendered for the movie ticket was money well spent.
Money is a major theme centralized in many of the Coen Brothers films. Their latest work, "Burn After Reading," is no different: it's a tale of paranoia, money and the product that is yielded when those two items are mixed with a dash of anger, passion and a major lack of credible intelligence - a hilarious substance consisting of cinematic satire and shocking violence.
The basic plot of "Burn After Reading" shows what happens when a few loopy gym employees find a mysterious disc that appears to contain a collection of heavily coded messages believed to be used by the CIA and try to use the disc as blackmail in an attempt to gain some extra cash.
The Coen Brothers' unique style is apparent throughout every arc of the film, and "Burn After Reading" is not as predictable as it is shocking. Certain scenes tend to leave viewers on the edge of their seats, wondering if they should laugh or cringe.
The film's all-star cast is another staple of its achievements as a successful work. John Malkovich plays the part of Osbourne Cox, an angry ex-analyst of the CIA who not only has an apparent drinking problem, but a problem with living and working as corporate pawn whose angry nature is brought on by the many deceiving characters around him.
Osbourne is perhaps the smartest character of the film, and viewers may root for him even as his world comes crashing down. Malkovich plays the disgruntled businessman well, offering a seamless visual of what Osbourne might embody in reality.
Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand also turn in stellar performances as the two energetic and confused fitness center employees, Chad Feldheimer and Linda Litzke. Both characters are perhaps over-the-top caricatures of average American "fitness freaks." Their ditsy thought patterns and physical movements are quite effective.
Money is a major theme centralized in many of the Coen Brothers films. Their latest work, "Burn After Reading," is no different: it's a tale of paranoia, money and the product that is yielded when those two items are mixed with a dash of anger, passion and a major lack of credible intelligence - a hilarious substance consisting of cinematic satire and shocking violence.
The basic plot of "Burn After Reading" shows what happens when a few loopy gym employees find a mysterious disc that appears to contain a collection of heavily coded messages believed to be used by the CIA and try to use the disc as blackmail in an attempt to gain some extra cash.
The Coen Brothers' unique style is apparent throughout every arc of the film, and "Burn After Reading" is not as predictable as it is shocking. Certain scenes tend to leave viewers on the edge of their seats, wondering if they should laugh or cringe.
The film's all-star cast is another staple of its achievements as a successful work. John Malkovich plays the part of Osbourne Cox, an angry ex-analyst of the CIA who not only has an apparent drinking problem, but a problem with living and working as corporate pawn whose angry nature is brought on by the many deceiving characters around him.
Osbourne is perhaps the smartest character of the film, and viewers may root for him even as his world comes crashing down. Malkovich plays the disgruntled businessman well, offering a seamless visual of what Osbourne might embody in reality.
Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand also turn in stellar performances as the two energetic and confused fitness center employees, Chad Feldheimer and Linda Litzke. Both characters are perhaps over-the-top caricatures of average American "fitness freaks." Their ditsy thought patterns and physical movements are quite effective.
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