Monday, January 26, 2009

Burn After Reading (2008) (Drama)(dramedy)

Burn After Reading (2008) - Comedy and tragedy are lovers in this odd story about a couple quirky gym employees who find a disk containing the memiors of a former CIA agent. Thinking they have discovered valuable information they attempt to sell it back to the agent, Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich). It would be easily if the characters fromthe gym were not so flawed, Brad Pitt plays the witless Chad Feldheimer and Frances McDormand the self improvement obsessed Linda Litzke. When Cox refuses their offer they head down a rabbits hole that there really are going to be consequences for entering. Mixed in this mess are the relationship side stories, Cox and wife Katie (Tilda Swinton), she is cheating on him with Harry Pfarrar (George Clooney), Pfarrar is cheating on his wife with anyone including Litzke, Cox and anyone else who will say "yes". There is more of this but lats just say no one can win in this movie. I think the message of this movie speaks the lengths people go through to find a connection with other but also how we are never just satified in those relationships, it also shows us the tangled webs we weave, will more likely catch us. There we will be stuck.
What I liked: Brad Pitt was great. McDormand was a bit of typecast for the part but she does it so well.
What bothered me? Well this is a not a movie about particularly likable people. Maybe that is the intent but in the end there really are no innocent bystanders besides the manager of the gym.

Grip - A general-purpose handyman, the movie set's counterpart of the theater's stagehand. His duties include laying dolly tracks, moving flats, setting up parallels, building platforms, placing reflectors and gobos, doing light carpentry, and generally performing tasks that require brawn.

Key Grip - The head grip on a film set, in charge of a group of men, usually numbering from five to fifteen.

Key Grip:None Listed
Rating (7.7)

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