Burn after Reading

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The latest Coen Brothers movie is the complete opposite of their last film No Country for Old Men. It is almost a slap-stick comedy.

Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) quits his job at the CIA after being demoted for what he calls ‘political reasons’. His wife (Tilda Swinton) is having an affair with George Clooney’s character Harry, and now that Osbourne is not bringing any more money home she decides she wants to divorce him. Her lawyer tells her to get as much information about her husband’s income as possible. She therefore burns a disc of top secret stuff (or ‘shit’ as it is referred to in the movie) to give to her lawyer.

The lawyer’s secretary loses the disc at her gym. This is where the second story begins. Chad (Brad Pitt) and Linda (Francis McDormand), who are working at the gym, think they can get a reward if they return the disc to its rightful owner.

There are several stories that all come together in very strange ways (mostly through Harry’s affairs). The film has an absolute star cast which, I guess, will get the audience to the cinemas. Burn after Reading is funny but falls short of being great. It is a light-hearted comedy with a few twists (nothing really unexpected though, oh, apart from a rather dodgy chair that Harry builds for his wife) and a couple of strange and unnecessary deaths.

George Clooney and Brad Pitt seem to enjoy playing the clowns (similar to the Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen films) which is fun, but especially Pitt is not very believable.

There is no real point or moral to the story (apart from: don’t get involved in things you know nothing about) which makes it peculiar enough, in my eyes, to watch. Why not watch a film just to be entertained for once?! But wait until it is out on DVD and rent it.

(Photo: flickr/Michael Heilemann)

Almost Famous

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Sex, drugs and rock’n’roll. This is one of the films I used to love as a teenager.

It is a coming-of-age story in which fifteen-year-old William is given, by chance, the opportunity to write the cover story for the Rolling Stone Magazine. He tours along with one of his favourite bands, Stillwater. His self-declared mentor Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman) advises him under no circumstances to make friends with the rock stars.

But, of course, William is swept away by the situation and loses focus on his work. He falls in love with one of the “Band Aids”, adores the band leader Russell Hammond and on top of it all ends up getting “deflowered” by a group of girls. When the article is due, he has only a few notes written down…

The cast includes Kate Hudson as Penny Lane, Patrick Fugit as William and Billy Crudup as the band leader Russell Hammond. One of the most entertaining characters is William’s mother (Frances McDormand), who is extremely possessive of her children and only allows William to go on the trip if he doesn’t miss a single test in school (obviously he ends up missing quite a few).

Groovy entertainment with a great soundtrack. Filled with subtle humour, a beautiful first love and crazy rock musicians. It is definitely a film worth watching!