Live Life Team
Joel and Ethan, better known in the movie world as the Coen brothers; won themselves Oscars last year for ‘No Country for Old Men’. While that movie was a little arty for my taste, I really enjoyed their new movie. If you’re in the mood for some really clever and witty comedy, I’d suggest you watch ‘Burn After Reading’.
I read a few critic reviews that panned the movie because they thought the Coen brothers could’ve committed no bigger sin than to make a comedy thriller after winning an Oscar. Well, you know what they say, don’t believe everything you hear!
Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) is a CIA agent who gets fired from his job and starts off a wonderfully cartoonish chain of events. He is married to Katie (Tilda Swinton) who is having an affair with sex addict and serial-womaniser Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney). Then there is Linda (Frances McDormand) a cosmetic surgery addict whose chief concern in life is not being able to find Mr. Perfect and she blames it all on her lack of cash to invest in her addiction. Chad (Brad Pitt) is her airhead co-worker.
Cox begins writing his memoirs after getting fired which his wife secretly copies onto a disc to use as ammunition against him during the divorce case. But her lawyer’s secretary leaves the disc behind at Hardbodies Gym where Linda and Chad work. Considering its “CIA”, Linda assumes its “classified info” and she and Chad decide to sell the disc to the highest bidder.
And thus follows a hilarious, witty and cleverly constructed set of events. I love the performances by all the actors and if you’re musically inclined, listen to the soundtrack – I think it goes really well with the “thriller” element of the movie.
