Burn After Reading. (A sort of film review)
April 20th 2009 02:14
Now that was funny
There are filmmakers, and there are people who make films who don’t deserve the title filmmakers. They’re like Christians. ‘In name only.’ Yes, you did make a film. I guess that entitles you to be called a filmmaker. But a shit one.
The Cohen Bros are filmmakers. Jews. Displaced Jews not worrying about the restoration of Israel or the Diaspora. Just making shitloads of money out of filmmaking. By seriously being funny. It’s what they do best. Funded by Jewish bankers but not into conspiracy theories. They know conspiracy theories are real. They’re rich.
I didn’t particularly like Burn After Reading the first time I watched it. But that wasn’t the film’s fault. I’m a moody bitch. I wasn’t in the right mood. Maybe I’d been on Orble that day? I was on the male rags again.
But anyway, I re-watched it. A few times. It just gets better on each watch.
And the bonus features on the DVD were great too. Seeing, listening to the Cohens talk about the film. And their dry soh. They never laugh when they tell a joke. I like that sort of deadpan approach to humour. No LOLs after something funny. They respect their audience.
Casting Brad Pitt as a complete dork, at least gave him something to do acting-wise. He hasn’t been extended much as an actor since Kalifornia. (If you don’t believe Brad Pitt can act? Watch Kalifornia). Pitt’s a bit like De Niro. He just has to play the same role over and over again and watch the bank balance rise. Because apart from the Cohens? Who is writing great scripts where actors have to act outside of typecasting? You have to watch the scenes with Brad Pitt in them to fully appreciate his acting skills. When he gets into the car with ‘Os-borne Cox?’ ??? I mean just the expression on his face when he gets in, reveals how good an actor he is. I’m envious of the guy. Not his acting skills. His bank balance. I’m not envious of his missus. Jolly Angela reminds me too much of my ex. Plus she wants to adopt the entire third world so that people think she’s charitable. I reckon she’d be a complete bitch in real life. She believes too much in the power of the fanny. It’s her faith. Interdenominational I think. Ecumenical, even. She appeals to the modern woman.
And George Clooney really gives Brad Pitt a run for his money as to which attractive man can act the stupidest. That was the one thing I most enjoyed about the film. Two guys that most women on the planet would love to fuck, making complete idiots of themselves. Only to find women still like them cos they're rich.
The Cohens decided to write Burn After Reading with specific actors in mind. Actors they hadn’t worked with before, principally. With a few oldies thrown in for good measure. Well they have to include Franny McDoormat. One of them lives with her. John Malkovich was another actor they hadn’t worked with, and his performance is brilliant. He’s as drunk and angry as an Orbler not on his meds. Well he’s worse than most of the Orble women who refuse to take their meds and would rather rant on Orble. Watch out for the scene of him in his undies. It’s a progressional scene. The disintegration of a male character who is persecuted. (I type nude on Orble. It’s gone way beyond that).
The Cohens were talking about the film and how it was about how middle-aged people were really fucked up, and how they wanted to make a film like that. Then they came up with the idea of the CIA clashes with a gym. It’s like soul ugly meets body beautiful. But it’s not. Body beautiful often = soul ugly. So it’s a film about soul ugly meets soul ugly. Maybe one day someone will write a film about Orble? Burn Before Reading? But Orble aside, it’s a fantastic premise for a film. Film premises that are that simple are bound to be winners in the hands of these two freaks.
The Cohens are masters of dialogue. They never not have something (action) happening. But they are masters of dialogue. They are Tarantino for the thinking man.
There’s one very serious scene in the film. Where the two CIA operatives (boss and understudy) are discussing what’s happened (in the course of the film). With a very deadpan expression, the understudy goes, “It appears everyone is fucking everyone.”
If you like a film that makes you think? Watch it. If you don’t? Read Orble posts.
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Comment by Damo
I wish that I had seen more Coen BR Films.
Comment by Ann 2
Muzikal Mafia
Canadiens Watch
Football Slate
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
I will definitely look out for this one as i like both Clooney and Pitt, not that I would sleep with them with my best friends body, but I like to watch them as I love good natured banter/dialogue, its like reading you and Damo. Both clooney and Pitt can deliver in that area at least, especially Clooney who is brilliant at it.
Thansk for the heads up, I will come back with my opinion if you like?
Lilla ..
Comment by Lady Henrietta Muddling
Potter in a Harry
There's still time.
It's not just their sense-of-humour which appeals to me. It's their filmmaking skills.
The interviews with the actors were great. Most of them said the beauty of working with the Cohens was they knew exactly what they wanted out of the film.
George Clooney was funny. He said they even let you tell them a different way to shoot a scene, let you do it, then convince you to go back to the original. And he was taking the piss out of himself. His own naivety. You have to love a bloke like that. There aren't many left.
I like the way they direct their films (the choices they make in each scene as to where to shoot it from). I'm glad I gave this film a second, third and fourth chance.
But then I can watch a film a hundred times if I like it. I'm looking for things to do with screenwriting. (We all come at films from a different angle). And when there's so many frames per second, there's a lot to look at which you can miss first time around.
You have to watch it, if only to see Brad Pitt say Os-borne Cox? a few times.
Comment by Lady Henrietta Muddling
Potter in a Harry
People without a real sense of humour won't find the Cohen Bros funny. (They won't even read my posts. Sob, sob).
I agree with you. It's hilarious.
And yes, they're dialogue kings. They understand fully that real ife isn't scripted dialogue, and yet they get this down-pat in a script. That's pure genius in my book.
The scene where Brad Pitt is in the car with John Malkovich highlights this. He's not even listening to him. He just keeps talking over him, sort of like a telemarketer, because you realise he's rehearsed his lines for this spiel. IN the end, John Malkovich punches him in the nose. So many bloody layers in one short scene. If that's not genius? Genius doesn't exist. Einstein was a fraud.
Comment by Lady Henrietta Muddling
Potter in a Harry
This is the funniest thing I've read for a while:
I love new twists on things.
Clooney is manic in this film. I haven't watched him that closely in a film before. But he sure knows how to play a comedic role - straight as - and leave all the laughs for the audience.
And yeah, sure, let me know what you think. I'll be very surprised if you don't like it.
Comment by Someone
Evil Pleasures
Random Musings on Life, Love and Everything
Let's Get Down To Business
I haven't seen this yet, but I agree that Pitt and Clooney definitely have their acting talents underrated... and John Malkovich is probably one of the best actors in Hollywood today (I would probably rate him and Kevin Spacey as the best, or at least my favourites).
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
i enjoy the personality that bleeds into everything you do....and I agree that Burn after Reading is a fun distraction. It may not be in the same league as Miller's Crossing or The Big lebowski, still it has a lot of laughs to offer.
Its hard to get past Brad Jolie's pretty boy image, but he certainly can lodge a worthy performance when he needs too (I'm a big fan of Kalifornia too, which also has Dave Duchovny in top form) - See 12 Monkeys, Fight Club, Assasination of Jesse James, Snatch and Se7en for further evidence.
Comment by Anonymous
Yeah The Big Lebowski is another one I should pull out again. I watched it at the cinema when I was tired. I was probably on the male rags again. There's a lot of menstrual blood in the air on Orble.
No Country For Old Men was brilliant. I felt like I was reading a book in visual form. I haven't actually read the book the film was based upon. But the final scene did it for me. It was like finishing a book you don't want to end. I don't know how else to describe the experience.
Well I do. But I'll get attacked for mentioning chicks on the rags. Dolmio grins all round, brother!
Comment by Anonymous
Bleeding into my words is the flavour of the month. It's pre-post-&
Nice to see you. Thanks for the compliments. I do try to make a film review a bit entertaining. Morgan thinks I repeat myself a lot. Morgan thinks I repeat myself a lot.
Well, I've seen the Bradster Pitt-Bull in 7 and Fight Club (two of my favourite films btw).
It was great to see his interpretation of a dork. I mean, how much fun would they have had making Burn After Reading???
I can't get Os-borne Cox out of my mind.