September
5
Toronto Watch: Burn After Reading
There's too much going on here. Lots to see, too little time.
This morning I went to the basement Silver Screening Room at the new ultra-ritzy Hazelton Hotel to catch the Coens' Burn After Reading. It's a wicked, nasty, arch, funny piece of work, very Coens, well-acted by Frances McDormand, who as usual provides warmth to what is a freezing cold view of the world. George Clooney's performance as a womanizer who happily cheats on his wife with Tilda Swinton, McDormand and anyone else who will open their legs is tinged with real sadness. And Richard Jenkins and a host of other supporting players are excellent, as usual. Brad Pitt is hilarious as a bumbling, cheery fitness instructor who tries to extort money out of CIA operative John Malkovich, with unfortunate, messy results.
What's the problem? The movie has chuckles, but people you care about--and others you don't--keep getting bumped off unexpectedly. This is not a light romp. It's fierce.
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"...people you care about--and others you don't--keep getting bumped off unexpectedly." that's a problem? are you kidding? that is the single best thing i've read about this movie. i was thinking it was another over-stylized romp that has a high gloss but is afraid to commit.
excellent. the more shiny yet vapid characters that get killed unexpectedly the better. killing such characters lends a movie like this credibility. doing so unexpectedly is simply icing on the cake. so it's a fierce romp -- cool.
coen brothers, i tip my hat. freaking excellent.
Posted by: Alan | September 05, 2008 at 06:53 PM