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Burn After Reading Review By: Sarah Rix So let's get this out of the way; George Clooney is a good looking man. Besides explaining my "I love anything with George Clooney in it" mantra, it also helps explain why the Coen brother's wrote him a part in their latest film, "Burn After Reading". Clooney plays a sex-addicted, cheating, running-obsessed goof. Equally as goofy are the roles played by John Malkovich, Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, and Richard Jenkins. For Pitt, this is definitely a step in a direction he's not used to. Without question, he does a good job of pulling off Chad, who happens to be a complete idiot. Perhaps it's the fact that we, as an audience, are accustomed to seeing Pitt in more serious, composed roles that we can take such delight in laughing at his moronic, albeit well intentioned, behaviour. As a gum-chewing, bicycle-riding gym trainer, Chad and McDormand's plastic surgey obsessed character, Linda, find a disc containing what they believe to be valuable CIA information. Jenkins, as gym owner Ted, wants nothing to do with it, but he does want something to do with Linda. Linda and Chad, looking to be rewarded for their good deed of finding the disc, contact the owner of the disc, foul mouthed Osborne Cox (Malkovich), who was recently demoted in his CIA job and has been penning a memoir in his free time. His wife, Katie (Swinton), has been looking for a divorce while she sleeps with already married Harry (Clooney). Meanwhile, Harry also happens to be sleeping with Linda, who also isn't his wife... Yes, the relationships in this film are more than a little confusing. The confusion comes with a purpose though, and it's something that Joel and Ethan Coen aren't afraid to point out throughout the film. Burn After Reading is a funny, absurd film. No doubt humourous and entertaining, you can't help but think that in the hands of any other directors, the charm of this ensemble cast would be lost. You also can't help but think that in the hands of any other directors, this cast wouldn't have been able to come together as it did. Granted, with such a big name cast, you can also get the sense that they're often trying to outplay one another, which can distract from the actual plot. Following the success of last year's "No Country For Old Men", the Coen's clearly garner a lot of respect from their actors. Clooney's third film for the duo (the other two being "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and "Intolerable Cruelty") is in no way comparable to No Country For Old Men. Anyone looking to compare the two films will be disappointed at best. And perhaps that's what the Coen's were looking for and hoping to achieve. After their near-perfect piece from last year, another drama would have only accentuated the faults of the individual movies. By switching from a serious, violent drama to a smart, absurd comedy it can really only accentuates how diverse and sharp the Coen's are. As I waited in line last night at Roy Thompson Hall to get in to the gala screening, a man came over and offered $200 for a single ticket inside. I'm not sure if he ever got his ticket, but looking back on the film I can't help but ask myself "Is Burn After Reading a $200 a ticket film?". No, it isn't. It's a good film, by all means, but it can also come off as a film trying to be too smart for the sake of being smart. If you're not a Coen brother's fan, you might have some issues with it and not know exactly what to make of its cast or story. So on September 12th, if you have the $12 to spare, and are a fan of the Coen's or someone in the cast (which is almost inevitable), it's well worth a shot. At the very least you can walk out of the theatre with the satisfying knowledge that somebody out there paid $188 more than you to see the same thing a week before. |