I’m not sure if watching a movie centered on middle-aged people with borderline-depressing lives is my idea of an enjoyable weekend matinee. In fact, I’m sure that’s not what I had in mind when I decided to go see Joel and Ethan Coen’s newest film, Burn After Reading.
Lately, I’ve found myself describing Burn After Reading as “the new Coen Brothers movie.” By now, the two siblings have established themselves as a big name in the movie business. What with 1998’s The Big Lebowski, 2000’s O Brother Where Art Thou? and 2007’s No Country for Old Men, the hype surrounding the two directors and writers is indisputably deserved.
A day later, though, I still can’t decide how I really feel about their latest flick. Basically, it was one of the most depressing movies I’ve ever seen, but was it bad? I’m not sure.
Burn After Reading begins with John Malkovich’s character, CIA agent Osborne Cox, getting fired. He returns home to find he’s also in a failing marriage with an adulterous wife who’s planning on divorce. George Clooney is her lustful partner in crime, who is also married (to a woman who writes children’s books, no less).
The plot really gets moving when Cox’s wife burns a CD of their financial records so she has some stable ground to stand on during the divorce. When it’s mistakenly left in the Hardbodies gym locker room, it gets into the hands of employees Chad and Linda (played by Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand). Mistaking it for CIA top-secret classified information, the two decide to blackmail Cox in order to pay for Linda’s plastic surgery bill. Hilarity ensues.
The reason I’m still not quite sure what to think about this movie is pure and simple. It’s a Coen brothers movie, and I really respect their work. The Coen brothers can’t make a bad movie! Unheard of! However, I didn’t enjoy this movie at all. None of the characters are really likable — except perhaps Chad, the stereotypical meathead whose life consists of working out and trying to make money.
The others are, frankly, pretty annoying. Linda only cares about her plastic surgery and is involved in online dating. For those who think online dating has gained a certain level of respectability lately, the Coen brothers don’t agree. Linda meets one guy who has no sense of humor (a quality she highly values), goes on a dismal date, but still takes him home at the end of the night. Meanwhile, Cox’s wife continues to cheat on him, plans to stay with her lover, but is unaware her lover has multiple partners outside of his marriage.
Basically, this movie is a depressing and dismal look at the lives of the “typical” middle-aged, disillusioned American. The only big laughs in the movie occur at scenes where the characters’ lives are surprisingly and ironically pathetic. The soundtrack was pretty genius though — suspenseful drums and claps during normal everyday activities such as shopping and reunion dinners. Oh, the irony. Basically, I can’t in good conscience say it was a bad movie because it was well-made and achieved its end. I didn’t enjoy it, but hey, maybe you’ll enjoy watching what could become your life should you make a variety of ridiculously bad choices.
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