Burn After Reading Movie Review

Burn After Reading (2008)

Rent Burn After Reading on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Starring: Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins, Elizabeth Marvel, J.K. Simmons
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A disk containing mysterious information from a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous and daft gym employees who attempt to sell it.

Verdict
It's not the Coen brothers' strongest movie, but it is wild and silly ride. A CIA agent getting fired leads to this web of conspiracies that no one understands, much less can explain. Two gym employees try to trade suspected CIA secrets for cash, and that only leads to more trouble. My favorite part of this are the CIA heads that get reports on what's happening but are absolutely baffled by the events unfolding and how everyone got involved. All the performances are great, but the situation is almost too ridiculous.
It depends.

Review
This was the Coen brothers next release after No Country for Old Men (2007).

CIA agent Osborne (John Malkovich) get a demotion, and he's not happy about it. He quits instead, contemplating a memoir while he's unaware his wife is planning a divorce. She copies several files off of his computer to give to her lawyer, including the notes for his memoir.

Self conscious gym manager Linda (Frances McDormand) wants cosmetic surgery, but her insurance won't pay for it since it's elective. She hopes the surgeries will improve her dating prospects. She's oblivious to the fact that her manager Ted (Richard Jenkins) is enamored with her. He's just too subtle.

Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt play Linda Litzke, Chad Feldheimer

Her coworker Chad (Brad Pitt) finds a disc in the locker room, and he's convinced he's found top secret CIA information. It's Osborne's, and they easily find him, trying to shake him down for a cash payment. That only makes him mad. He quickly realizes they aren't professionals. They're so unaware of they're shortcomings it's comical. Their belief in this valuable data is based on hope and nothing else. Linda seizes on the opportunity that this data could be sold and pay for her surgeries. When Osborne doesn't pay, they head to the Russian embassy.

Harry (George Clooney) is dating Osborne's wife, but I wondered about his significance. He soon begins dating Linda. It's clear he's a serial cheater as he's also married. Linda thinks he's great, flattered that somebody so handsome is interested in her. She thinks she's found someone, but we know what he's really about. Throughout the movie we've seen him building something in his basement. The reveal of what that is comes as a shock.

We suspect all of these characters are going to face consequences. Linda and Chad dig themselves deeper when she promises the Russians they have more information. Chad must break into Osborne's house for the promised intel, and he and the audience get quite the surprise.

George Clooney, Frances McDormand play Harry Pfarrer, Linda Litzke

The CIA is aware of everything, but they don't understand anything that's occurred. It's a mess that doesn't make sense. They know Osborne doesn't have any classified information, they're not sure what's being sold, how Chad and Linda obtained it, or why they think it's valuable. They dismiss the situation.

Harry has been followed for the entire movie. He finally corners the person following him, discovering the man works for his wife's lawyer. He's shocked his wife wants a divorce, comical due to his infidelity. Linda knows about his wife, but she doesn't seem to mind. I assume because he's handsome. When Chad goes missing, Linda asks Harry to find him. Chad and Harry have already had a run in, but Harry had no idea Chad and Linda had a connection. When he realizes exactly who Chad is, he grows suspicious of Linda.

It's a ridiculous scenario, and I love the utter confusion of the CIA boss (J.K. Simmons) who can't determine any motive for a single event that's occurred. To rid themselves of the situation, the CIA boss agrees to pay for Linda's surgery to make this go away. The boss concludes they've learned not to do it again, though he's not sure what they even did in the first place.