Burn After Reading(2008)

Coen Brothers and dark humor..now that’s a lethal combo that can never go wrong..We all know that..Their previous outing  was ‘No country for old men”, which was a blood bath.So its good that they followed up with this  lighthearted  comedy  with an ensemble cast that include George Clooney,Brad Pitt,John Malkovich,Frances McDormand and many others..

Each character in this film is perfectly etched out.And most characters in this film are idiotic and right down hilarious.There’s not much going on in the plot.It’s  a cat and mouse game ,that’s just  neatly written .As its once said in the film, it’s a clusterfuck(now that’s a technical term, but i hope you can relate it).So its not actually the plot but the characters that make this film watchable, actually more than just watchable.The humor in the film is top stuff.

Brad Pitt as Chad Feldheimer, a gym instructor is the most interesting character from the film.This is the most hilarious i have seen of Brad Pitt.He amazes me in each film..And he does even more than just amaze me in this one..I am speechless..wow..There is this one scene from the film which is my favorite and for that matter everyone’s favorite, when Brad Pitt tries to be this really hard chap on  dealing with an analyst in CIA.The false voice he makes and the million dollar expression on his face, i laughed my socks out watching that scene..That’s the best and the most hilarious scene from the whole movie..Brad Pitt, you’ll always be my favorite…

Goerge Clooneys’s character is that of a treasury agent, Harry Pfarrer.That’s a funny name.George Clooney has done a fine job .Harry is this man  who loves his wife   and many other women.He is a  constant womanizer.And he is punctual and is more than concerned  of his health.John Malkovich as Osborne  Cox needs an applause..This role of an alcoholic CIA analyst  was totally safe in his  hands.And Frances Mcdormand, who is a regular in Coen films, is at her best in the role of  Linda Litzke, a fellow gym instructor alongside Chad.

Its not one of the finest works by the Coen brothers, but it sure does have their signature all over it.They remind us over and over again that perfectly crafted out characters can make for an interesting watch, even when the plot has nothing much to offer.

My Rating :8/10