"Burn After Reading" - Okay...What?

See...Brad Pitt Is Okay.

I honestly feel that this movie was made as a reminder to the academy and new Coen brothers fans of the humor and dark mysteries we've come to love [or hate] about the brotherly duo. The movie is odd, ends open ended, dead...dead...really deadpan humor. Characters are as fleshed out as you could possibly hope for in a movie of this nature. The biggest question I had while watching this movie was, "Why Brad Pitt?".

more after the jumpers...

Spoilers: Pre-Losing Brain Matter

For me, Pitt's character was the most irksome. It isn't so much that Pitt isn't acting well or he doesn't add much to the character.  For this 'happy-go-lucky' meat head of a character, I can't help but think that Pitt was probably a bad choice for the role.  With how light and fluffy a role this is...I could see a younger, but probably less talented version of Pitt playing here.  He plays such a dumb guy, that it really is unbelievable. However, I can't help, but think that this is essentially the underlying pathos of "Burn After Reading". It is supposed to have characters that we are use to seeing doing and acting in a manner that is somewhat uncommon for them.

I'm really interested in how real Mulrooney movie is...

Really loved Frances McDormand's character, even when the story 'kinda goes left' and it seems that the Coen brothers just really went extreme with her character's morals. You really can't help but see this weird kind of intensity in her eyes. If there is anything the Coen bros. major in it would be in a kind of raw dialogue with relationships. This is where the movie peaks...you are interested in what will happen with Malkovich and Swinton's relationship. Or if Clooney is honestly losing his effing mind or if being a kind of twitchy, playboy is what he is ultimately destined to be.

What does Mr. Jenkins have to do to get that award?

Honestly, what does Richard Jenkins have to do to get a nomination this year? This is yet another solid performance in what is truly a 'nothing role'.  This is odd, the casting got something here with Jenkins. He's horribly likable and just someone you can't help but keep your eye on while the camera is rolling...so what happened with the whole Pitt playing the role of a 21 year-old?

[Sidenote: I'd also like to say thanks for having 40-something men and women in your movies and having them look hot...in a natural sense.]

If you are in the mood for a movie that you can just turn your brain off this is definitely the flick. It's not the Big Lebowski or even Fargo, but there something about a movie that makes no apologies for going no where.

I give this movie...

Youch...Definitely In Need Of Ointment

A face full of skin cancer.