Written by Robert Scucci | Published
When the Coen Brothers are firing on all cylinders, you really can't beat them. Unfortunately, they released so many guaranteed bangers that some get more attention than others, like in 2008. Burn After Reading. Whenever I talk to anyone about the duo's films, the same topics always come up. Simple Blood (1984). Raising Arizona (1987). Fargo (1996). The Big Lebowski (1998). No Country for Old Men (2007). You get the point.
Burn After Readingeven though it's not the most talked about film of the Coen Brothers, it remains one of the best comedies of errors in their filmography because everyone misconnects and acts on the spur of the moment to such an incredible degree of stupidity that it's actually surprising. There's espionage and angst, love triangles, paranoia, and, my favorite part, JK Simmons is somehow defeated and completely pissed off whenever he appears on the scene.
We Really Can't Talk Too Much About The Building Here
Usually, when I do a plot for a review, I talk about high-level beats so I don't spoil the film. You can't really do that Burn After Reading because each scene reveals something important. It's a growing exercise in climbing, and the best I can do without robbing you of information is to give you a quick and dirty summary so you know what kind of people we're dealing with here.
Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) is a disgraced CIA analyst who was demoted because of his drinking problem. Unable to cope with the blow to his ego, he gives up and decides to write his memoirs. His wife, Katie (Tilda Swinton), is considering filing for divorce for many of the same reasons her bosses pushed her out, and, on the advice of her lawyer, begins collecting financial documents to get the ball rolling. In the process, he accidentally gets hold of a hard copy of Osborne's memories. She also has a romantic relationship with US Marshal Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), who is compulsively active and constantly falling into a mystery.
This information is burned onto a CD-R by his attorney's assistant, who accidentally takes it out of his gym bag while working out at Hardbodies, a gym that everyone falls into at some point. This is where it is Burn After Reading introduces all-time idiot villains like Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) and Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), two personal trainers with a combined IQ of 50.
Chad looks at the disc, which contains Osborne's bank statements and comically bad prose, and is convinced that he has found sensitive government material. He and Linda come up with a plan to blackmail Osborne, though in their minds they hold on to his “important death” until he pays them to return everything safely. From this point forward, loyalties shift, incriminating information emerges, and the Russian Embassy is dragged into the dirt because Linda desperately wants a payout so she can pay for cosmetic surgery at last. Meanwhile, her boss Ted (Richard Jenkins), with whom she is secretly in love, watches the whole thing unfold in horror from the sidelines.
We Never Came Into This, Trust Me
Although it may sound like I've already given you a full summary Burn After Readingwe never scratched. Every interaction continues to spiral out of control, pushing each character into increasingly ridiculous territory. It would take three more pages to reveal everyone's motivations, stories, and faults. It's a masterclass in everything that goes terribly wrong, no matter how smart, flawed, or stupid the people involved are.
The second irritation you feel while watching Burn After Reading can be summed up by the character of JK Simmons at the CIA, known only as “CIA Superior.” He's a minor character, but his position in the plot that's being dissected here shows how insignificant everything else in the film is. Every time he gets an update about Osborne's missing files, Linda and Chad's extortion attempts, or Harry's involvement, he rubs his temples and tells his guy to come back if any of it starts to make sense.
In Burn After Readingthe stakes cannot be lower, but everyone handles this situation as their life depends on the things that go their way, although most of them do not fully understand what their goals are. That's what makes it so great to watch. No one works on the same wavelength, and all the misunderstandings snowball into another slapdash disaster waiting to happen.
If you're a fan of the Coen Brothers but you're asleep Burn After ReadingI strongly recommend that you stop what you're doing, turn on Netflix where it's streaming right now, and watch it as soon as possible.
