‘Burn After’ Reviewing
It seems perfectly foolish to link to a review that I’m not going to read and this probably isn’t even the first official review of Joel and Ethan Coen’s Burn After Reading, but it’s the first one that’s come across my newsfeeds and this is how I roll when it comes to the Brothers Coen.
Here’s the word from Venice by Lee Marshall in Screen Daily. I’m sure many more will follow when the comedy starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances McDormand and John Malkovich opens the Venice Film Festival today.
[UPDATE: Greencine offers a few more takes from the UK plus a contest.]
[UPDATE: and Variety takes a stab.]
Filed under: Film Festivals
Tags: Brad Pitt, Burn After Reading, Coen Brothers, Ethan Coen, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, Joel Coen, John Malkovich, Venice Film Festival
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I have to wait so long to see this I really don’t mind reading them, I’ll just skim to the good parts. But, as usual, I respect your stance :)
I’m just glad the film opens soon. It’s getting impossible to talk about it without talking about it and it’s only going to get worse in the next couple of weeks.
I’m getting to see this next week. Cannot wait, as I’m getting sick of running from the room with my hands over my ears every time a commercial comes on TV for it.
Not reading this…not reading this…not reading this…la la la la la
Cool, I’m entering the contest for the pointless swag. Just last night I had to frantically grab the remote and fast-forward the TiVo past a Burn After Reading trailer running during the Daily Show.
Kinda annoyed me, considering how hard I’m working to avoid all mention of it.
Evan has just made me turn green.
Cannot wait…
There was a video clip at the Guardian that just started out with images of the Venice red carpet and a bunch of know-nothing talking heads standing around knowing nothing and talking….but then they started showing all these clips and I turned it off in a panic.
I bet Evan made me greener, “Burn” opens here next January.
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******** POTENTIAL SPOILER ****** POTENTIAL SPOILER ********
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“Burn After Reading cons the audience into seeing depths – and Fargo parallels – that don’t really exist.”
The above quote, lifted from the linked review, makes no sense to me.
All I know is that I’m fascinated and that I’m beginning to understand why this film would be well-received by the European cognoscenti, who generally hold high disdain for Washington’s current crop of movers and shakers.
I can’t wait to be conned by the Coens into believing their films are actually about something.
rolls eyes
Reuters has an article about all the infinitely stupid questions that the reporters asked Clooney and Pitt when they interviewed them.
Alison, do you have that link and does the article contain any spoilers I need to avoid?
No spoilers, Joel. It really is all stupidity. It’s the Reuters blog. Here’s the link for your amusement:
http://blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/2008/08/27/marriage-for-clooney-kids-for-pitt-jokes-bad-questions-fly/
The reviews seem to be matching my impression of the trailer.
I’ll be there opening day to find out before I find out more…
Damn internet!
It’s amazing they give out press credentials to these people, much less bother to have the actors do Q&A’s with them.
THanks, Alison.
Yeah Joel, they’re even too idiotic to play idiotic characters in a Coens movie.
I gotta say, and I’m a very major Coen fan, that I’m not encouraged by the trailers I’m seeing on TV. But I’ll be the first in the theaters here in my little corner of Alabamy
I want to be happily surprised by Burn After Reading, so my strategy is to have really low expectations. The script and trailer have been very useful tools in this scheme.
Despite my continued enthusiasm when it comes to all things Coen, I try to remain skeptical. This is going to be quite a gear shift from No Country and even if they pull it off, it’s still not going to cure cancer or have sex with me.
Thank you, Alison, for that link. It made my day. :)