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Joel and Ethan Coen's current offering, the black comedy Burn
After Reading, proves that the emotion known as schadenfreude
is alive and well in the movie business. It's not that the
Coen brothers are misanthropes but rather that they see the humor
in misfortune and know how to exploit it for cinematic success.
The
plot of their new film revolves around fired CIA analyst Osborne
Cox (John Malkovich) who decides to write a memoir about his life
at the agency. Cox's wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) steals the
computer disk that contains his memoir and all hell breaks
loose. There are affairs, break-ins, and shootouts along the
way in this unrelenting satire of the spy movie genre. Frances
McDormand, George Clooney, and Brad Pitt round out the impeccable
roster.
We
like Burn After Reading for its visual style and its
technical prowess--hallmarks of the Coen brothers. Their use
of low angles, traveling cameras, and constant action make for a
cinematic roller coaster ride. It's marvelously entertaining
and relentlessly funny and the perfect weekend movie.
If
Burn After Reading appeals to your comedic instincts then
we suggest renting Raising Arizona, a cult classic about
theft, love, and child abduction and perhaps their finest film. |
