Burn After Reading is the latest Coen brothers movie. In parts it's convoluted crime story, a bit like Fargo; and in other parts it's absurdist comedy though not as far out there as The Big Lebowski. Part of fun is seeing how this shaggy dog story plays out and there are some genuine surprises so I won't spoil the plot, but I will give the simplest summary.
John Malkovich is a CIA analyst who leaves his job. His wife, Tilda Swinton is having an affair with George Clooney. Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt work at a gym and are not the brightest bulbs. They try to blackmail Malkovich. It wasn't completely obvious to me at first, but all these characters are idiots, Pitt wonderfully so. Oddly it's the managers who offer something a bit more. J.K. Simmons is a CIA manager who has most of the funniest scenes. Richard Jenkins is the gym manager and is the most sympathetic character.
The connections and their actions become more and more screwball. As it goes on they skip over a few actions and fill it in with exposition. It wasn't nearly as confusing as in No Country For Old Men, in fact, I was never lost at all. There's some very effective storytelling going on.
I went in expecting a comedy. Throughout most of the beginning I was surprised to see a political thriller, but by the time we left the theater I could only remember it as a comedy. I don't think there's any message to it, it's just pure fun; and it works.
Update: Two things I forgot to write. First, This is kinda a cross between Breach and The Big Lebowski, except it starts off as Breach and turns into Lebowski. As I left the theater, it was solidly a comedy in my mind but I remember in the beginning thinking it was a political thriller. Second, Malkovich's performance reminded me of him in Rounders, except without the bad Russian accent. I think some of the lines and the way he cursed were identical.
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