Movie Review: Burn After Reading

"Burn After Reading" is the Coen Brothers follow-up to the best film of 2007, and one of the best films in many years, "No Country For Old Men." "Burn After Reading" has an all-star cast comprised of Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, and John Malkovich. The film follows two personal trainers, Chad and Linda, played by Pitt and McDormand respectively, who stumble upon a disk belonging to a former CIA agent that holds what they deem to be "sensitive information." In order for Linda to pay for her cosmetic surgery, they attempt the blackmail the agent, Osbourne Cox, played by Malkovich.

The plot has many twists and turns, and all the characters seemed to be involved with each other in one way or another; and they all have their separate stories and issues. Linda wants cosmetic surgery because she's very self conscious and wants to find a man. She frequents social dating sites and has sex with the men she meets, presumably in order to feel that she has some worth in the eyes of men. Osbourne Cox, in addition to having lost his disk, has quit his job at the CIA and is being divorced by his wife, played by Swinton. Harry Pfarrer, played by Clooney, is a womanizer who just so happens to be married (one must wonder how much of a stretch this role was for him). He's also being followed, but does not know by whom, or for what reason. Chad, played by Pitt, well...he's just there.

All of these characters stories are intertwined and the plot weaves, fairly seamlessly, between all their stories. It even manages to poke fun at itself and how silly its characters and situations truly are. It's very well written, and has some fairly snappy dialogue. However, when it comes to comedies, the main factor in deciding whether or not to issue a positive or negative review is quite simple: Is the movie funny? In the case of "Burn After Reading," it mostly is not. There are a few chuckles here and there, and one should still be able to "get it" even when the joke does not make them laugh. However, this movie simply is not funny enough to be recommended. As a comedy, it is average at best; and that is the only factor worth considering when deciding whether or not to go and see, or rent, a comedy. The film does have excellent dialogue, and it is interesting to see how the convoluted plot plays out. But if you want laughs, you may want to look in another direction.