Burn After Reading - B+

As the local Coen brother apologist, I was somewhat dismayed by priest’s review. How could they jettison everything they did so well in 2007’s No Country for Old Men? Well, the many mixed reviews probably diminished my high expectations so much that I was able to appreciate the moments of greatness . . .

The film opens as a God’s-eye view of Middle America and moves east to Washington, DC before descending on CIA Headquarters. Analyst Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) is being demoted by his boss (David Rasche). After being accused of having a drinking problem, Cox quits and decides to write his memoirs. His wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) is having an affair with Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney) and her divorce lawyer encourages her to download his financial information. The lawyer’s secretary will eventually lose this disc (and Cox’s memoirs) at Hardbodies gym where it is found by Hardbodies employee Manolo who hands it over to fellow employees Ted (Richard Jenkins), Chad (Brad Pitt) and Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand). Chad and Linda then try to blackmail Cox so she can pay for some cosmetic surgery. Eventually, a CIA superior (J.K. Simmons) will be briefed on all the action.

The actors seem to be having a great time. Clooney’s paranoia is perfect and Malkovich’s profane rants were hilarious. Rasche and Simmons’s deadpan exchanges were funny. Swinton plays ice-cold bitch better than anyone and Jenkins is fine, especially when he tries to express his admiration for McDormand. McDormand doesn’t hold up quite as well as expected, but there is lots of sadness underneath the surface that I look forward to exploring on repeat viewings. But Brad Pitt is the real scene-stealer, a great, unforgettable comedic performance. I loved the way he kept saying, “Osborne Cox”.

The Coen brothers have always been fascinated with idiots and misunderstandings, but they’ve never been this interested in infidelity. They’re attacking modern America’s obsession with the physical appearance as well as the moral bankruptcy of adults who try to fulfill their lives with new lovers. (Witness the pillows Clooney and Swinton lay on.) For those who don’t think the movie is about anything, I’ll direct you to Cox’s confrontation with Ted when he discusses “the Age of Idiocy”. Cox is smart and faithful to his wife – he’s the hero of sorts, but lets his anger get the best of him. I thought the Coens would conflate idiocy with the Bush-era CIA, but that’s not the case. The CIA agents are intelligent, but certainly confused about what is happening. If anything, the Coens see the United States through the eyes of the agents, confused about America’s obsession with celebrity, looks, and stupid movies starring or not starring Dermot Mulroney.

Their technique as directors, while not in top form, is still pretty great. The scene showing Chad’s point of view in the closet is spectacular – his mind is racing on a stationary bike. All of the “paranoia” shots are just as interesting. Their abilities as writers are just as good. Their delayed reveal of agent Olson and Harry’s gift to his wife are interesting structurally, but I will admit that the dialogue isn’t quite as memorable as The Big Lebowski (“You see what happens, Larry?”) or No Country for Old Men (“You keep runnin’ that mouth , I’m gonna take ya in the back and screw ya.”) but many of the characters are.

This is the first Coen movie not shot by cinematographer Roger Deakins since Miller’s Crossing. Emmanuel Lubezki (Children of Men!) takes over and does a serviceable job, occasionally rising to greatness: the beams of light on Linda after her first romantic encounter, - the light making her loneliness all the more obvious. It certainly looks different that recent Coen films, brighter and with more contrast. I can’t wait to dissect Lubezki’s work on the DVD.

MAJOR SPOILERS: The Coens make the mistake of killing their best character first, but maybe that's another comment on the celebrity obsession. The 2 people that are killed are breaking real laws, not just moral ones, thus showing the Coen’s sense of morality. The last scene is a unique and unusual one. Just before the camera goes back to its satellite orbit and proceeds over the Atlantic Ocean, Rasche and Simmons wrap up the plot very quickly. What happens to major characters is told rather than shown - which is usually a big faux pas, but kind of works here. Linda gets what she thinks she wants. Harry gets a new start, and the “hero” Osborne Cox ends up in a coma, sound asleep, for who knows how long. Probably until this Age of Idiocy is over. B+