Jonathan Published on 25/11/2009 | (4 Reviews)
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his/her review : The Coen Brothers, albeit through films covering a wide range of genres and themes, have developed a signature which is unmistakably theirs. And so one can say "a very Coen brothers film" without perhaps knowing what it is that ties films like "Blood Simple", "No Country For Old Men" and "Intolerable Cruelty" (to take three random titles) together. Let's see: there are the moments of humour in situations of extreme violence, the passive attention to gruesome detail (one thinks of that be-socked foot sticking out of the wood chipper, or the scuffed marks on the floor of the strangled policeman), the love of idiosyncratic characters with bizarre traits and, occasionally, haircuts, etc. So, "Burn After Reading" is in many senses classic Coen Brothers stuff. It's a film where the world of fitness and international espionage collide, and, not to get too much into the plot, somehow come to an understanding, not without incurring many casualties along the way. Lacking the introspection of "No Country For Old Men", "Burn After Reading" is closer to "Intolerable Cruelty", and again features George Clooney. Rent it, have a laugh, enjoy the suspense and stupidity, but don't expect to be moved.