Burn After Reading–classic Coen fun **nano-spoilers**

McDormand and Pitt as the morons of the century

The last we saw of The Coen Brothers was their dark best-picture winning No Country For Old Men. Today they’re back with far fluffier fare in Burn After Reading, starring George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton, and John Malkovitch. And for that I offer the Universe (and The Coen Brothers) many, many thanks. After an August of cinematic duds (only two decent wide release films came out the entire month) Burn After Reading is a refreshing upswing.

Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand were the highlights here even though neither really flexes any significant acting muscles. Regardless, both are immensly entertaining in their roles as, well, complete morons. As we’ve come to expect from The Coen Brothers, money is the central motivation of these characters who set the action in motion by seizing an unexpected opportunity to grab a quick chunk of change.

George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, and John Malkovitch play the poor schleps who get drawn into the goofy duo’s grab for cash. Swinton, seeminly reprising her Ice Queen role from The Chronicles of Narnia (will she play someone likeble ever again?) amuses while playing it straight, while Malkovitch gets to delight as the sensitive, downtrodden heavy. Physically, Clooney channels his character from O Brother, Where Art Thou to some extent, but endears as a sex fiend with a jogging fetish. And what’s he building in the basement? Looks sinister…

Overall, this talented cast delivers. The script meanders a bit, and the stakes aren’t particularly high, but the laughs are pretty constant. J.K. Simmons and David Rasche are quietly brilliant in their bit parts, and The Coen Brothers deliver quite a few of their signature surprise moments.

This film reminded me a bit of 6ixtynine9, a Thai gangster comedy I reviewed a little while back. The action in that film is set in motion by a simple misunderstanding which becomes compounded many times over. The setup is the same in Burn After Reading, except in this case, with these actors and this script, the result is a study in silliness. Most Coen Brothers comedies have a silly take on something more or less serious, where the stakes are high. Burn After Reading is a silly take on something completely silly, where any serious consequence is the natural, if unfortunate outcome of being a bit silly. In fact, I would almost call this film Coen light. Fans of their films will surely enjoy it, but if their other comedies have been too out there for you, I’d recommend giving this one a try.

This film is rated R for violence, strong language, and sex toys.

Burn After Reading 1-Sheet