Caffeinated Clint
By Clint Morris
It’s official – the Coen Brothers do not know how to end a movie. The start they get right, the middle they definitely can handle, but a film’s conclusion is where they trip up. Joel, Ethan… it might be time to buy a copy of James Bonnet’s ”Stealing Fire from the Gods”. Don’t be ashamed guys, we all lose our footing sometimes – even the greats have been known to stumble here and there.
As brilliant as ”No Country for Old Men” was, and as a fun as ”Burn After Reading” is, nobody will deny being slightly disappointed both by film’s endings – they were quick, abrupt and unsatisfying. Â In the case of ”Burn After Reading”, a light comic caper featuring an all-star cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Tilda Swinton, the ending needed to work a lot better than it did. It’s the type of film that slowly builds and builds, merging storylines and characters as it travels (similarly to say, Barry Sonnenfeld’s ”Get Shorty”), with the audience expecting a bravura reveal or gut-bustingly hilarious and inspired finale. You don’t get either. You get something – but it’s not an ending. If anything, it’s an indication that the idea didn’t come with a finish. Pity, the idea is a goodie – and for the most part, it works.
John Malkovich plays a laid-off CIA agent named Ozzie who’s currently in the process of writing a tell-all book about his adventures in the field. He loses the disc containing his only manuscript. Two ‘unwise‘ gym employees (Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand) find the disc and are intent on exploiting their find (she needs some more bucks for some plastic surgery she’s determined to get).
Agent Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), assigned to recover the disc, is also harbouring a secret that could cause even more upset to Ozzie‘s life. While Ozzie‘s wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) has a secret of her own.
Oh, and did I mention the Russians?
Besides the disappointing ending, there’s fun to be had here – and it’s mostly due to the performances, not necessarily the script (which could’ve been a bit tighter… or craftier… or both). Brad Pitt is absolutely hilarious as the over-energetic and slightly dimish gym trainer, McDormand (a staple in the Coen Bros’ movies – being married to Ethan) is brilliant as the film’s heroine…of sorts, Clooney has a blast as the promiscuous and paranoid Harry, whilst Tilda Swinton revels in her role as yet another great cinematic bitch. Not to be outdone, John Malkovich has a few great scenes in which he again offers up his best hot-headed lunatic. Once again, the Coen’s have assembled a great cast.
There’s fun to be had here, but as a Coen Bros’ comedy it’s certainly not up there with “The Big Lebowski” or “Raising Arizona”.
