"Burn After Reading" (2008) - Movie Review

Having stellar film cast, Joel and Ethan Coen venture from their dark “No Country for Old Men” to darkly comic “Burn After Reading” which needs a mind set to go without any clue. That would not help a lot but would be the best thing when the end comes. Because as the characters does one idiotic thing after another without thinking of consequences, we wonder what in the hell does CIA want from this and then it all makes sense in an ending of such kind that you leave on a very high note. It is definitely the high note George Costanza describes and uses in one of the “Seinfeld” episodes. Always leave the room when the high impression remark is declared a success. Well, Coen brothers have so much trust on their ability and its performers J.K. Simmons as CIA Superior and subordinate executive Palmer (David Rasche) to close with their conversation and finish triumphantly.

A CIA employee Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) whose job we are unaware when we meet is demoted by Palmer. We want the outburst we expect out of Malkovich to go profane. The anticipation is served well by him and then we see his unfaithful wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) and her lover Harry Pfarer (George Clooney). Osborne decides to write a memoir of his CIA experience while Katie plans for divorce and in its first phase decides to copy all the information Cox has to a CD for her attorney’s perusal. It lands somehow in the hands of gym employees Chad (Brad Pitt) and an overly insecure Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand). While Linda plans a black mail so that she can do several cosmetic procedures to be front on the internet dating market, Chad’s motivation is purely an act of idiocy. Well, the idea itself is an epitome of idiocy.

But wait, it boils with all these characters in a crack pot of paranoids, stalking, breaking and entering, accidental killings and planned killings. Brad Pitt oozes out his character with so full of it. He shrinks his eyes and talks in cold voice while calling Osborne to extort money. Osborne floods Chad and Linda with showers of profanity. That scene works entirely because of Brad Pitt’s facial expression. He is clueless, does not even know what he wants or what the point he is making out of it. Linda comes with driven nonsense of being commanding. She thinks she is taking control of the situation and when Osborne goes ruthless, she drives to Russian Embassy to trade the secret. How about that for height of ignorance?

The sporadic but copious stupidity of these people does not make any sense for the story. Constantly we wonder where they are going with it. What is the rebuttal in this story which has people just do what they want to without a single idea of how it is going to hit or turn back to them. Pretty much that’s the feeling the directors put across to the viewers. And the discussion inside the CIA office does not make sense but voices similar opinions we have in a highly eloquent manner. They become the critic of these events of befuddlement and chaos. That ignites the film.

We can all argue about the necessity of such a big cast for a film like this but why not. And every one does not alone have fun but bring a particular form of adamant foolishness for their character. The only man who makes to sense and be rational is Ted (Richard Jenkins) but it is a matter of time for him to be sucked in by his crush for Linda. It is a cast well managed and well placed.
The film while appears to take a puzzled approach is due to the curious eye for finding the plot. The plot though is none and it is those height of erratic whimsical scenes which mocks its film and out of it is the striking winning blow for the Coens. Clooney and Pitt play the good looking men with unbelievably crazy instincts. They are vulnerable in the easiest manner possible but pose the appearance of personalities who can keep the talking and the party going on. Their absence of sense becomes a comedy making people believe they are mimicking some one else.

Seeing “Burn After Reading”, I seriously questioned what does CIA has to do now? Sure they have enemies but not like olden days. In a world of deception the awareness of their behaviour becomes the paranoid. Even if one declares jokingly of their knowledge of knowing something without any idea at all, the cloud of clandestine conspicuousness surfaces. It can never be solved as the nature of the operatives is to have constant doubt. So to leave it is not an option and to investigate it will not suffice and hence the only thing left is what the character of J.K. Simmons is always happy to hear about which is eliminate the person of doubt. While every time he is slightly surprised, he definitely is relieved. May be because it is one less person to worry about.