I’ve just been to see the new Coen Bros. flick “Burn After Reading” and wow...I’m kinda speechless. I liked it…mostly. Actually more than I thought I would, with a couple of minor exceptions. More on that in a sec…
A couple of things really impressed me. First, there’s a LOT going on here…it’s a dark comedy with plenty of twists and turns, mistaken identities, and sudden (and surprising) shocks. It could have been confusing, but the Cohen’s have a way of puzzling you while always keeping you up to speed. I like that it takes its time introducing us to these folks before things get really fucked up...which they do pretty quickly. And second, there’s the PERFECT cast.
Frances McDormand has one of the most expressive faces in movies today. I’m not sure how she manages to find so many levels of quirkiness and still hold on to a characterization, but she does it to great effect for the Coen Bros. I was kind of rooting for her from the beginning- even though she’s completely naïve, jumps to conclusions with no thought, and hangs out with total losers like Brad Pitt. Speaking of whom…
Anyone who’s followed my blogs knows that I’ve come to respect Pitt a LOT as an actor. At first I wasn’t sure if he was parodying his earlier dumb-but-pretty roles here, or if he meant us to take this character seriously. Well, you can’t really take him TOO seriously, but after some thought I think he’s pulled off a major feat- his fitness trainer/extortionist is not dumb…exactly. More like innocent…not too bright and completely childlike in his approach to life. His character is simply too…well, simple, to see the consequences of his actions. He and McDormand bounce off each other nicely.
I was looking forward to seeing Tilda Swinton again- she was (IMHO) the best part of “Michael Clayton” and she’s equally good here…but in a completely different way. Where Karen Crowder was a nervous breakdown waiting to happen, Katie Cox is strong, self-assured, bitchy...and a lot of fun to watch. All that AND we get to hear her using her real accent. Great part, great actress.
A couple of things really impressed me. First, there’s a LOT going on here…it’s a dark comedy with plenty of twists and turns, mistaken identities, and sudden (and surprising) shocks. It could have been confusing, but the Cohen’s have a way of puzzling you while always keeping you up to speed. I like that it takes its time introducing us to these folks before things get really fucked up...which they do pretty quickly. And second, there’s the PERFECT cast.
Frances McDormand has one of the most expressive faces in movies today. I’m not sure how she manages to find so many levels of quirkiness and still hold on to a characterization, but she does it to great effect for the Coen Bros. I was kind of rooting for her from the beginning- even though she’s completely naïve, jumps to conclusions with no thought, and hangs out with total losers like Brad Pitt. Speaking of whom…
Anyone who’s followed my blogs knows that I’ve come to respect Pitt a LOT as an actor. At first I wasn’t sure if he was parodying his earlier dumb-but-pretty roles here, or if he meant us to take this character seriously. Well, you can’t really take him TOO seriously, but after some thought I think he’s pulled off a major feat- his fitness trainer/extortionist is not dumb…exactly. More like innocent…not too bright and completely childlike in his approach to life. His character is simply too…well, simple, to see the consequences of his actions. He and McDormand bounce off each other nicely.
I was looking forward to seeing Tilda Swinton again- she was (IMHO) the best part of “Michael Clayton” and she’s equally good here…but in a completely different way. Where Karen Crowder was a nervous breakdown waiting to happen, Katie Cox is strong, self-assured, bitchy...and a lot of fun to watch. All that AND we get to hear her using her real accent. Great part, great actress.
George Clooney sheds the good-guy image to give us a character that’s twitchy, paranoid, and…well, a little bit of a perv. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I’m not sure I really liked him, but I sure cared what happened to him. His reaction in a particularly violent scene is at once funny and distressing. As a matter of fact, from this scene on I was riveted and couldn’t wait to see where the film would go.
Also on a casting note…somebody get J. K. Simmons (Juno’s dad) a bigger role in something. Anything. He’s only in 2 scenes, but it both, he’s the voice of US, the audience- asking questions we would ask, and saying the things we would say if we were there. Every line is delivered in a complete deadpan, no expression whatsoever. And he’s funny as hell. Small part, HUGE impression.
Casting segues nicely into the couple of problems I had with the film. Regarding John Malkovich, I have to say that I was just not impressed with his one-note, grate on the nerves performance. I know I’ll get shit for this, but pretty much any actor could have shaved his head, adopted a pissed-off, “the world’s done me wrong” attitude, and huffed and puffed numerous variations on the “WHAT THE FUCK?” theme 20 or 30 times. What a total waste of an enormously talented actor.
Another problem for me is that the film seems to want to be a throwback to 30’s screwball comedies except with a dark side, and I’m not sure it completely pulls it off. The dialogue is dead-on, but some of the twists and turns are SO preposterous that I found myself just shaking my head on occasion.
And is it just me (probably), or did anyone else feel like there was something missing from the ending? I don’t particularly need (or even appreciate) a film that wraps up all its loose ends, but the final act of this one felt rushed, abrupt, and unfinished. On the whole, though, “Burn After Reading” is an entertaining way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
4 comments:
I agree with you about Malkovich, I think his head is pretty much permently shaved nowadays though.
Since he is hairless.
He is a good actor, but you're right he is annoying in this movie. You can see it in the very first scene, he gets his cue to freak out and spit and scream and off he goes through the rest of the movie.
Pitt really does come off looking the best here of all the actors, i read a review of the film by a critic who said "Pitt doesn't judge the moron he's playing, he just is." and i think thats a perfect way to put it,
But i keep thinking about the Clooney character and performance though, there was alot to this guy, he was a lying womanizer and thought he was tough, but he was so emotionally needy, he fell apart when his wife left him, even thought he was cheating on her with god knows how many scores of ladies. And there was great humor in his performance and great pain as well. A deeper charcter than this film had time for I think, same with McDormand, these are two deeply damaged people.
I disagree with you about the moron factor, every charceter in the movie is a complete idiot.
I still maintain that this movie is not a comedy. there are alot of funny things that happen, and it has that great Coen dialogue.
But i really felt for many of these characters and i didnt have as much fun watching them go through these things as i would of liked, i felt sorry for them, and that's just not comedy to me.
I think if the film would have just went a step further either Darker or Lighter it would of worked better.
But there's alot to cherish here. Not the Coens at their best but The Coens at their worst are better than many at their best.
I think Dave Lange said that once, and im stealing it. GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK
OH...i almost forgot, how could i forget, RICHARD JENKINS who plays the Gym Manager, and gets his head whacked with an axe. Can we get more of this guy please, From FLIRTING WITH DISASTER, to a small Hilarious Scene in THERES SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, and now STEPBROTHERS and BURN AFTER READING this year, this guy is one of the best charcter actors comedy or otherwise around, he had a movie out this year too, that i never saw, maybe dave did at The Lyric, smaller movie that may snag him an Oscar Nod, I hope so.
Few movies can take extreme characters and bounce them off each other in a way that makes me wish they would collide more often. Even a bald, curse spewing Malkovich is welcomed despite some of my colleagues open hostilities towards his art. Personally, I enjoy the loose use of the word, "Fuck".
My eyes missed the cinematography of Roger Deakins. That is my only complaint. Visually the film was stale. But, that's like going home with a really cool chick, having amazing intercourse, and then not calling her ever again because her tits were too small.
Well guess what? I'll be calling 'Burn After Reading' for another roll in the hay very soon.
Bam!
Dave, this is a family blog, i dont appreciate your disgusting sex talk violating these precedings. We can talke about your sex addiction in a David Duchovney themed blog, that's fine, but not here Big Guy, keep your game in your pants or you'll wind up on the bench. You've gone over the line smokey, you know, fair warning.
Post a Comment