Burn After Reading

I was a little nervous going into this one. Some of the reviews I saw were a little tepid, and I was afraid this might be another Intolerable Cruelty or Ladykillers. Movies that had moments of Coen Bros. genius, but didn't really feel like their other work.


Fortunately Burn After Reading fits easily into the realm of some of my favorite Coen movies. Maybe not quite up to the level of Lebowski or O Brother, I'd say it's closer to The Man Who Wasn't There or The Hudsucker Proxy (although not nearly as stylized visually).

It wasn't as laugh-out-loud funny as I expected, until the second half. The comedy is definitely back-loaded. But the first half is never boring. The Coens take their time setting up all the characters and plot threads. And when they begin to pay off, they pay off big time.

Burn After Reading is similar to The Man Who Wasn't There in that you have a hard time finding anyone in the movie to root for. The one truly sympathetic character comes to what is probably the worst fate of anyone in the movie. The Coens are harsh creators. Usually a movie filled with characters you can't identify with would be unwatchable, but under the Coens' direction it works.

The story is joyfully unpredictable, with one moment that genuinely shocked me and another that hilariously belies the audience's expectation (George Clooney's invention). I watched the movie always gleefully anxious to see what happened next, and was never disappointed, right up to the final understated denouement that sums up the film's meaning (or lack thereof).

Something To Look Forward To

Here are some movies that I eagerly anticipate:

1. Cowboy Bebop

I'm not convinced this one will make it to production, but I could be wrong. Like Watchmen I'm torn about whether this movie should be made at all. Bebop is my favorite anime series, one of my favorite series period. I'll be unable to watch this without an extra critical eye. And unless Yoko Kanno is composing the score I'll dismiss this one outright.

2. The Goon

If you haven't read the comic series The Goon then you are severely missing out. Eric Powell's art and writing are among the best around (and he's from just south of here, bless him). Some of the absurd irreverent humor is reminiscent of Sam & Max, but that's only a small part of what makes the comic great. Among the giant zombie apes and salty, fish-headed seamen and emo vampires, is a story that is filled with geniune pathos. Goon is basically what I wish Hellboy was.
The movie, which Holly alerted me to, is being handled by David Fincher as a CGI animated film. I think that's the best way to go, because Powell's artwork is so damn good. And Fincher is a big enough director to make this movie huge.

3. Burn After Reading

Saw a slightly different version of this trailer in front of The Dark Knight. Let's hope this one is more Lebowski and less Cruelty. But following No Country isn't going to be easy. It's great to see Sledgehammer getting work, though.