#3: Burn After Reading (2007)

Burn After Reading is a 2007 film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich and Tilda Swinton.

'Osbourne Cox, a Balkan expert, is fired at the CIA, so he begins a memoir. His wife wants a divorce and expects her lover, Harry, a philandering State Department marshal, to leave his wife. A diskette of Osbourne's musings falls out of a gym bag at a Georgetown fitness center. Two employees there try to turn it into cash: Linda, who wants money for elective surgery, and Chad, an amiable goof. They try to sell the disc back to Osbourne, who has a short fuse, then they visit the Russian embassy. To sweeten the pot, they decide they need more of Osbourne's secrets. Meanwhile, Linda's boss likes her, and Harry's wife leaves for a book tour. All roads lead to Osbourne's house' is the plot summery on imdb.

I have a few problems with this movie. For one, the words 'burn after reading' were not mentioned once (unless I'm, like, ya know, really dumb and missed it or something). Secondly, Brad Pitt, the only funny person in this comedy, was gone half way through. Thirdly, it just ends. We never got to see a real end, all we got, like in most Coen Brothers movies, was a 5 minute wrap up talk. It's like having to leave the movie theater early. I feel jipped.

Speaking of Brad Pitt, I kinda used to hate him... like Johnny Depp! I used to think Johnny Depp was super cool with his 'I don't care' attitude. But when I saw him at the MTV movie awards, seemingly unshowered with a dirty rag in his back pocket my opinion changed to: big jerk. But, after reading into him a little more and watching 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' I like him again.

Now, I was never much of a Brad Pitt fan. I always thought (and still do think) he takes himself way too seriously (to the point were it's just obnoxious). But, after watching this and Fight Club I like him a little more. Maybe there's a personality buried under all that hair gell after all...

BLAH BLAH BLAH.
Anywho, in conclusion: I did not like this movie.
I am left with nothing but disappointment and rage.
A fine cast wasted.

The end.


-Courtenay