The Coen brothers comprising of Ethan and Joel Coen are a name synonymous with dark humor and its various complexities. When the brothers did “No country for old men” last year, it won the best movie of the year award at the Oscars beating out movies like “American Gangster”. The brothers are known for their close co-operation that terms like the two-headed director have often been used with them. While No country was a thriller with an air of seriousness about it, The Coens have returned to what is their forte, comedy, very grim comedy, with Burn after Reading.
The film stars Hollywood heavyweights Brad Pitt and George Clooney, with the Coen regular feature Frances McDormand, wife of Joel Coen. It also includes Tilda Swinton, the academy award winning actress which she won for her role in Michael Clayton and John Malkovich. The plot seems to revolve around two gym officials who lay eyes upon a suspicious disk and decide to take advantage of it. Brad Pitt plays Chad Feldheimer, a gym employee who discovers the tape and sees that it has some rather unconventional material regarding the memoirs of a CIA agent. The plot as always associated with the Coens seems to be filled with several sub plots that bring back memories of the Guy Ritchie hit “Lock, stock and two smoking barrels”. There are of course several little details involved with Clooney who plays Harry Pfarrer, a sort of womanizer who also appears really paranoid at various stages and also Frances McDormand who plays Linda Litzke who appears to want some sort of cosmetic surgery done to herself in order to look better. All these intricacies manage to create one hell of a fun ride for the audience and critics alike, with widely appreciated reviews.
With “Burn After Reading” opening at the top of the US box office this week, one is assured of the money drawing power of the Coens not to mention its lead actors and also are in time for Oscar contention.