Burn After Reading

[JohnXDoe]

Oh how I love the Coen's when they bring the lol's. Even the dark lol's.

I did not lol once for last years No Country For Old Men. Tommy Lee Jones and that serious dude with an air gun does not bring the funnies. And Josh Brolin is a bad actor did some justice by a role where he didn't have to talk much. Smart thinking on the part of the Coen's there.

For my taste that film was a bit too dark and about nothing for me. Yeah I can get deep and analytical about it but why bother when we have this new Coen fodder featuring Clooney, Pitt, Malkovich, and McDormand coming out?

The plot according to wiki:

Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) is a CIA analyst who quits his job at the CIA after being demoted because of his drinking problem. He then decides to write a memoir about his life in the CIA. His wife, Katie Cox (Tilda Swinton), wants to divorce Osbourne and, at the counsel of her divorce lawyer, she copies all his personal financial files off his computer along with his work-in-progress memoirs. This disk eventually finds its way to Hardbodies, a workout gym. Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), who works at the gym, finds the disc and intends to blackmail Cox with his former employee Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand). George Clooney appears as Treasury agent Harry Pfarrer who is sleeping with Katie, Osbourne's wife

:lol:

I much prefer the Coen's like this. Barton Fink, Brother Where Art Thou, Fargo, Hudsuker Proxy, The Big Lebowski, Ladykillers, etc. Check the desert dwellers and coin flipping homicidal maniacs at the door. I like the Coen's best when they're doing the wacky.

Who else is looking forward to this and what's the word?

http://i33.tinypic.com/24pgl95.jpg


Looks like good times at the movies :smoke:

[Alf™]

No Country for Old Men was an amazing piece of film.

This movie should be very good too.

[Cocaine]

idk man i heard it was pretty mediocre

[Apocalyptic Raids]

i'm looking forward to it, hopefully it rulz

[EightMilesHigh]

I thought NCFOM was good but not best picture good. But this looks good.

[iarescientists]

idk man i heard it was pretty mediocre

yeah but reading the reviews, it seems that most of the reviewers forgot that NCFOM was a departure from their usual stuff, and now that (from what i've seen in trailers, etc.) they're returning to their roots, people are forgetting that's who they were.

This looks like standard Coen Bros. fare and I've never disliked any of their movies, so I'm looking forward to this.

[Mister_Che]

I did not lol once for last years No Country For Old Men. Tommy Lee Jones and that serious dude with an air gun does not bring the funnies.

Tell me you weren't expecting lols.

[Knifeboy]

I'm gonna love it just because of seeing Pitt and Clooney playing dumbasses together

[Amit]

no burnt trees for cold hens was pretty good guys

[stevensonmat2]

There's no need to "get deep and analytical about" NCFOM, the point of the film was clear on the surface.

This new one, well, I haven't really seen much for it except the trailer featuring clips of Brad and George making a funny face or saying some line. I don't know, I feel like this is going to be un-spectacular. Even the Coen bro's were remarking at how easy it was to make this film, they just re-arranged stuff they've done before. (They may have been joking, but still.)

I'm sure it will be enjoyable, but I'm not anticipating another Coen classic, probably something on par with Ladykillers or Hudsucker.

[JohnXDoe]

There's no need to "get deep and analytical about" NCFOM, the point of the film was clear on the surface.

in that case it was just kind of boring and cliche

southwest drama bleh

nah i liked it but it wasn't the best movie of the year. didn't deserve a nom imho

imho

[EightMilesHigh]

I lol'd pretty hard at Brad Pitt on the treadmill with the outfit and the hair.

[stevensonmat2]

in that case it was just kind of boring and cliche

southwest drama bleh

nah i liked it but it wasn't the best movie of the year. didn't deserve a nom imho

imho

Well I wouldn't simplify it to a southwest drama, it was much more than that. Also, why would you say it was cliche? Although portraying the whole murder mystery/money hunt isn't exactly new, the way they went about it was.

[JohnXDoe]

i thought the characters were cliche. i'm wondering if the Coen's knew it and were aiming for that. but the movie was just very obvious to me. and being from the southwest it all seemed very familiar. it reminded me of a quiet Tarantino film.

now thats not a bad thing. like i said i liked it. but none of it was memorable. mostly i thought the characters and circumstances they found themselves in were cliche. and when Brolin put his girl on a bus bound for nowhere i just heard 100 bruce Springsteen songs going though my head

/sympathetic loser gets lucky

/vet

/dirty money

/things you HAVE to do


it even has dead mexicans and dead mexican money near the Rio Grande. trailers, dusty sand, sun....and the psycho. we'll just toss him in 'cause he's quirky

and the cop, of course. old, crusty cop

good movie sure. but for me, nothing too special

[stevensonmat2]

I could see Brolin and Jones' characters being a bit stock, but what was cool for me was how a typical story with known character types was made totally new by the addition of a cold-killing psycho. He was the rouge element of craziness that none of the other characters were quite prepared to deal with, furthering the idea that the modern world of uncertainty was no place for men like Jones.

I guess I saw it as a brilliant reinvention of an old, tired plot we've seen a hundred times before.

[JohnXDoe]

well sure. i don't want to give the impression i think the film is a contrived piece. but a few times it came a little too close to "the Coen's make a Tarantino film" territory for me. i found it really empty. and i get thats part of it. and the injection of the psycho. unlikely as it was. i mean this Brolin character seemed like a tough guy. i would think dealing with the crazy might be easier. i didn't find him to be an intimidating figure in the film. now what he represented and was there to help convey....i felt that in the movie. but i also want it to make sense

and maybe be a little original. although i don't expect originality from films. i think thats kind of high minded. i do expect entertainment, though. and for me NCFOM walks a line between both which leaves it sort of middling. its a middling blend. for me.....

i liked it as i said. i think i gave it an 8 in the "Last Movie You Watched" thread. maybe a 7.5? whatever the case....perhaps i need to see it again. i went in with very high expectations

but i also did with other oscar nominated films and didn't feel let down. and after i saw There Will Be Blood i felt i saw the best of them. wasn't let down by that at all

anyway this is good Coen discussion but i'm glad to get a comedy out of them again. i like their humor. and when they make awful things funny

[stevensonmat2]

I agree, it will be nice to see some more comedy from these guys. The Big Lebowski was a milestone in my life.

[djtdub105]

big lebowski makes me think this movie is going to be pretty good, coens are pretty good when it comes to writing and casting for idiot-type characters

[Shell]

I'll probably check this out because I like Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

The only movie I've seen out of the other ones you've mentioned is Ladykillers, and I thought it was okay but probably not something I'll watch again.

[DeckerDontPlay]

i will be seeing this on friday, super excited

[Luc214]

the coens have a formula but by god I love it

[djtdub105]

I'll probably check this out because I like Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

The only movie I've seen out of the other ones you've mentioned is Ladykillers, and I thought it was okay but probably not something I'll watch again.

Ladykillers is probably the Coen film that I liked the least, but it still had some good parts

[Iscariot]

i really dislike clooney but the rest of the cast for this sounds amazing and i will definitely see it

[djtdub105]

i never really liked clooney, but he did a pretty good job in Oh Brother Where Art Thou

[Iscariot]

o brother is a pretty hit or miss film tbh

i can't explain why but for some reason sometimes when i see it i love it and sometimes when i see it i want to kick my television

[djtdub105]

i usually only watch movies once, but i can see where you're coming from. i'd probably have to feel like watching it again before doing so. don't think i'd kick a tv, but who knows

[rid]

i'm looking forward to it, hopefully it rulz

this, pretty much

:p

[Steerpike]

Saw it yesterday. John Malkovich was a ****ing looney tune and almost every one of the characters was some variety of loser. And the whole cluster**** got started because Brad Pitt's character thought he could act like he was in a spy movie.

On that note, Brad made for a very amusing fag.

Their best? No. But probably their most ridiculous movie since Raising Arizona. If you like gallows humor, you really can't go wrong with this one.

[3FingeredHoek]

Just saw this. Man, the Coens are so consistently quality

[DeckerDontPlay]

Yeah the movie was hilarious from start to finish

[Tyrant21]

loved it, people in the theater were seriously retarded though. Some girl behind me was talking really loudly and saying, "I just don't get it, I don't understand what was going on" over and over. Then walking out some other kids were talking about how retarded and pointless it was.

I think some people need to stick to movies like disaster movie to be entertained, this wasn't even complicated and people were confused

[iarescientists]

well i mean it was pointless but to criticize it for being pointless is to miss the point

[aria]

i might sus this movie out i love all coens except o brother where art thou which sucked

please tell me its not like o brother where art thou

[Tyrant21]

not even similar, so you should be in good shape

[EightMilesHigh]

I liked it.

[stevensonmat2]

how could you not like o brother? whats not to like?

[djtdub105]

just saw Burn, thought it was pretty good. the tempo of the movie was a little strange to me, seemed to go really slow at some points, but overall it was pretty good. the story is alright, but the characters are definitely the strength of this movie.