"Burn After Reading" 2008

"Burn After Reading"

I remember going to see this when my son was working at a movie theater.  One of the perks of this job was that he got free tickets.  So if my son would work the matinees, we would show up for the evening movie and go see one with him.  When we got to this one, it turned out that he had to work some extra hours so we saw it alone.  He went to the show right after ours.  I remember him calling on his way home and we'd had the same impression.  It was great.

You know I love the Coen Brothers and I also like Frances McDormand.  She was fabulous in "Fargo" which I will write about someday, and is really great in this movie too.

The cast is wonderful.

Frances McDormand is Linda Litzke.  She is a trainer and obsessed with having the perfect body.  She just knows a few surgical procedures will help her find that special guy.



Linda Litzke: I'm really looking for a guy with a sense of humor.
Chad Feldheimer: That guy, wait, that guy wasn't bad.
Linda Litzke: Him?
Chad Feldheimer: No before.
Linda Litzke: Him?
Chad Feldheimer: Umm, he might not be a loser...
Linda Litzke: How can you tell?
Chad Feldheimer: That's a Brioni suit.
Linda Litzke: Yeah?
Chad Feldheimer: $hit yeah!
Linda Litzke: Does he look like he would have a sense of humor?
Chad Feldheimer: Looks like his optometrist has a sense of humor.

Brad Pitt is Chad.  He is awesome.  He is the perfect amount of dense.  And his hair is gravity defying.  I don't want to give anything away, but poor Chad. 



[after having found a CD they believe contains files of the CIA]
Linda Litzke: You should put up a note in the ladies locker room.
Chad Feldheimer: Put up a note? "Highly classified $hit found: Signal intelligence $hit, CIA $hit?" Hello, anybody lose their secret CIA $hit? I don't think so!

John Malkovich is great as the high strung Osbourne Cox.  When he is fired from his CIA job, he starts to come a little unraveled.



Osbourne Cox: If you ever carried out your proposed threat you would experience such a $hitstorm of consequences my friend your empty little head would be spinning faster than the wheels of your Schwinn bicycle back there.
Chad Feldheimer: Y-you think that's a Schwinn?

George Clooney is Harry Pfarrer who works for the department of treasury.  Even though he is married he likes to meet women for "recreational purposes" and then exercise.




Harry Pfarrer: Maybe I can get a run in.

The story is great, the dialogue is fun.  If you haven't seen it and love the Coen Brothers watch this movie.  Violence wise, it is on par with "Fargo".   It has fantastic twists and turns.  It is amazing how they intertwine all these characters.  It is hilarious. 

But everytime I see this movie, I think of the conversation we had with my son when he got home.

Poor Chad.