Burn After Reading is the latest film from the Brothers Coen after their uber-successful No Country for Old Men and it goes back to the Coen's love of quirky, "wha-huh?" comedic storytelling than drama.
A CD containing the memoirs of a recently fired CIA agent fall into the hands of two air-headed gym employees. Hilarity and grand misunderstanding ensues.
Burn After Reading is a great dark comedy. Much of the plot and feeling of the film is like a previous Coen Bros.' favorite, Blood Simple, but with a more wacky and light filter to it. There are moments in which you need to look around you and ask yourself, "If I laugh at this, does it make me a bad person?"
John Malkovich angry is funnier than it should be. George Clooney and Brad Pitt are goofy as hell which is refreshing since they are casted against their usual type of "sexy-cool man." Tilda Swinton is more of the White Witch in this film than she was in Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Frances McDormand does a grand performance as our quirky, misguided personal trainer.
J.K. Simmons' role as the CIA big-wig is great in that he reacts to the film's story like many of the movie goers would. The plot in this film circles around and around. Like other Coen films such as The Big Lebowski, as soon as you think you have a handle on the plot you lose it.
Bottom line: if you know the Coens and like their other stuff, this should be up your alley. If you don't know, give it a shot. However, if you don't like being jolted around and prefer a standard, smooth story with a sense of closure then you probably should venture elsewhere.
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