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Matinee Melee: Dark comedy, plenty of fun

By: Holly Leber
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By: Casey Phillips
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Casey Phillips: This film is both brilliant and absurd. I might even say it’s absurdly brilliant, but since that’s a label that can be applied to pretty much any nondramatic/thriller film directed by the Coen Brothers (“Barton Fink,” “The Big Lebowski,” etc.), it doesn’t tell you much.

The absurdity comes primarily from the plot, which somehow manages, in 96 minutes, to tie together Internet dating, blackmail, sex toys, the CIA, aerobics and Princeton University without missing a beat. Eventually, the Russians get involved, confusing everyone. This is dark comedy at its best.

The script is a beautifully knotted tangle of characters — from a gum-popping, juvenile personal trainer (Brad Pitt in a hilarious, film-defining performance) to a high-ranking CIA analyst (John Malkovich) — all subtly interwoven in ways that generally lead to decidedly sticky, yet completely surprising, ends.

Holly Leber: For the record, an amusement-park ride through the collective consciousness of the Coen Brothers, a la “Fantastic Voyage” or “Being John Malkovich,” would kick Space Mountain’s mechanical derriere. When a movie includes everything Casey said, plus copious amounts of carrots, plastic-surgery obsession and the most hilarious five seconds on a bike I’ve ever seen, it’s easy to imagine the creators of such an event must have had a strange and bizarre childhood.

But, as Chad Feldheimer (Pitt) tells us: “Appearances can be deceptive.” Yes, that’s deceptive, not deceiving. I cast no aspersions on the personal lives of Joel and Ethan Coen but would love to have insight into their collective creative mindset. What a fascinating experience it must be to be a fly on the wall when those two brainstorm.

Casey: Honestly, with the exception of a rather slow-burning expository sequence at the beginning and an overly dramatized opening shot zooming in from outer space to the bland hallways of CIA headquarters in Langley, Va., I can’t think of much I didn’t like in “Burn.”

George Clooney and Pitt obviously had a blast airing out their comedic skills, and it shows. Clooney’s performance as a paranoid, oversexed buffoon, in particular, even managed to convince me to forgive him for his unsightly appearance in this spring’s “Leatherheads.”

John Malkovich and Tilda Swinton portray a couple experiencing anything but marital bliss and pull off melodramatic, aloof roles that really shine, even if they’re not gush-worthy (except for a particularly amusing midfilm scene between Pitt and Malkovich in a car).

Even J.K. Simmons’ (of “Spiderman” and “Juno” fame) supporting role is a stand out. He plays a senior CIA official and basically serves as a mouthpiece for the audience’s thoughts when he’s given periodic updates on what’s going on and says, “Come back to me when it ... when it makes sense.”

Holly: I also loved the teamwork of Pitt and Frances McDormand. All of their scenes together were fairly hilarious. McDormand’s Linda Litzke was a great comic foil; a middle-age, mild-mannered woman who lives alone and finds lackluster dates on the Internet. Not the person one might imagine blackmailing a CIA operative for plastic-surgery money.

I’m fairly certain Pitt must have had Mexican jumping beans in his pants throughout filming; there was only one scene I can recall in which he was running neither his mouth nor multiple body parts. It was a welcome relief, however, to not see the tanned, toned and tawny Pitt in any tender scenes. That would have been too expected.

So too, would have been casting Clooney as a romantic lead, and while his Harry Pfarrar might consider himself a ladies’ man (and have the notched bedposts to match), he’s more of a grizzled, airheaded Lothario than a smooth Casanova. So much is unexpected, but with the Coen Brothers, unexpected is the name of the game.

Casey: Rather than end this on a snappy, clever note, I’m just going to wholeheartedly recommend this movie to ... well, everyone. If your only experience with the Coen Brothers’ work was last year’s “No Country for Old Men,” and you have doubts or reservations, understand that that was an adaptation of a Cormac McCarthy novel, so this is a great time to experience their original work.

Holly: “Burn After Reading” doesn’t quite surpass my affection for “The Big Lebowski,” but I have a deep and abiding love for The Dude and his compatriots. It was definitely a smile, however, and a good enough movie for me to see it a second time at a friend’s behest over the weekend.

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