Burn After Reading

written and directed by: Joel & Ethan Coen

Linda (Frances McDormand) is a mid 40s trainer at a gym. She is obsessed with her image and is consulting a doctor for cosmetic surgery, which she can’t afford. She is single and is testing out dating online. Her co-workers are Chad (Brad Pitt) and Ted (Richard Jenkins).

Osbourne (John Malkovich) is a CIA agent who has just been fired from his job due to a drinking problem. He is married to Katie (Tilda Swinton) who is a high powered…whatever and seems to be always irritated with him.

Harry (George Clooney) is an ex-government body guard who has never fired his weapon. His wife is a successful children’s book writer and when she’s doing book tours he looks for dates online. But he’s also doing Katie.

Since Osbourne has been fired he decides that he should write his memoirs. His disc is found by Chad in the gym and Chad thinks that he has stumbled upon some giant FBI secrets. He and Linda decide they can hold the information for ransom, or sell it to some Russians for money. Either way they want to get paid. They find out the disc belongs to Osbourne and thus begins their blackmail.

Harry is being pressured by Katie to leave his wife, since she has a case to leave Osbourne because of his current lack of employment. He is increasingly paranoid that he is being followed. And hooks up with Linda on a couple dates after an online match up.

I think that about covers how the characters are intertwined in the movie. It’s not confusing at all, but it gets a little gruesome as the film progesses and they all interact in a way that can only be called a “clusterf*ck”.

I wouldn’t say that you have to be a fan of the Coen’s movies to appreciate this movie, but you do have to get dark humor. But if you are a fan, then this is more like Fargo, less like The Big Lebowski. Clooney plays erratic pretty well. I might be biased since I love Brad Pitt, but his character cracked me up. Makes me want to squint and accuse people in a low, serious-sounding voice. I think Frances McDormand is a great actress, and she plays her character well, but she’s such a goofy woman. I was happy to see J.K. Simmons in the movie, although its just a short while. He plays a fast talking, highly irritated CIA officer. I was sad to not see the Coen regulars Steve Buscemi or John Tuturro in this one, but I can’t really complain. I’ll definitely be buying this one when it comes out on DVD.