BURN AFTER READING movie review

Burn After Reading

Starring: Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, John Malkovich

Running time: 96 minutes

Year: 2008

Directed By: Ethan Cohen & Joel Cohen

Written By: Joel Cohen & Ethan Cohen

Burn After Reading trailer

Prior to Burn After Reading the Cohen brothers made the fantastic film that was No Country For Old Men, which scooped awards galore at the Oscars of its year. When their next feature was announced, and it was to be starring some of Hollywood's best acting talent, most people could be forgiven for thinking it was going to be brilliant. Unfortunately however either No Country For Old Men was that good it will make anything the brothers do look less than average, or Burn After Reading is that poor that it makes their other movies look amazing. Whichever way round it is it doesn't change the fact that Burn After Reading is a poor film despite the fantastic acting talent and the great directors and writers on show.

The plot of the film is all over the place for starters. It begins with John Malkovich being downgraded from his job in the CIA, to which he accepts by quitting. Instead of telling his wife that night, they host a party where we meet George Clooney's character who it is made clear quite quickly is having an affair with Tilda Swinton, Malkovich's wife. Once the party is over Malkovich tells his wife that he has quit his job and will begin writing his memoirs. Not taking this too well she heads out to begin divorce proceedings against her husband and hopes to run off with Clooney.

Alongside this we find ourselves in a gym, whose workers are Frances McDormand's lonely and unhappy with her looks Linda and scatty and off his head Chad played by Brad Pitt. Linda is clearly looking for love and spends her spare time searching internet sites for dates, which she seems to never find a perfect match, and being rejected for plastic surgery due to money issues. Her luck soon changes however when Chad finds a CD revealing Malkovich's memoirs in the ladies changing rooms, to which they use in an attempt to blackmail him. To bring the entire ensemble full circle Linda's next date from her website is with Harry (Clooney), with whom she begins a full blown affair. It is highlighted quickly that he is a serial cheat. From here the film twists and turns between the leads and the entire plot comes round full circle, although not everything seems to really be cleared up.

There are moments in the film that seem to make little sense. Unless I'm missing something I don't understand the point behind the invention Clooney has built in his basement, and if anything I found his character a little bit of a throw away. To me the main plot was with Pitt and McDormand blackmailing Malkovich, and Clooney never is involved with this story thread. The ending is also skated over, and practically omitted in the same way Llewellyn Moss's fate is decided in No Country For Old Men. Perhaps this is a typical director trait.

Despite the few issues with the plot the acting talent do help this story along. Each of them are brilliant in their roles and they do not disappoint with their involvement in the film. Special mention should go to Pitt and Clooney for their against type turns. The script is also a good part of the film with the dialogue being original and free flowing. The problem however is the mess of the storyline which seems to go off in unnecessary tangents and at times becomes slightly boring. It does have its moments but they are few and far between. It has been stated that the Cohen brothers were writing this at the same time as No Country For Old Men and would alternate the days for which one they would work on. It seems like one of them got priority.

What makes this film most disappointing is the actors and directors are great at what they do, but they all seem wasted in this film. The actors are actually what make this film a bit better than rubbish, whilst the directors don't seem to bring their usual excellence to the proceedings. It is a shame really as there is so much that draws you to this film and the problem is that you will watch it and feel slightly bored and over expectant of what is coming next, because quite honestly nothing ever actually comes about. The ending is also just thrown in and suddenly happens out of nothing. If you are a fan of the Cohen's you will either love this as you feel you should or you will be disappointed as it does not live up to their previous work. If you are unaware of these two great directors then hire the other film I have mentioned a good few times in this review, and give the film I'm actually reviewing a miss.

1.5 / 5

Next film to review: COLOMBIANA

In Cinemas This Weekend: A new breed of super agent.

Finally we find ourselves at a weekend with a variety of films being released in the cinemas. We have moved on from the odd one or two that have been released over the past three weeks and this week we find ourselves with six releases, that's right SIX, and I tell you what I think I'd see them all each for different reasons. Have a look at the large selection below and decide which avenue you will take this weekend.


1. The first release of the week is a Bourne film without Bourne. In THE BOURNE LEGACY we are given Jeremy Renner's Aaron Cross who is another agent in a parallel timeline to Jason Bourne, showing us that Jason Bourne was not the only super agent! Also starring: Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, & Scott Glenn. Is Cross tougher than Bourne?

The Bourne Legacy trailer



2. Pixar's next major film is also released this weekend and we find ourselves being taken to the Scottish mountains for BRAVE. Kelly Macdonald voices Princess Merida who decides to defy her hierarchy and live life the way she wants to. Of course however a curse is cast upon her and she must fight to rid it and live her own life. Also starring: Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, & Julie Walters. Can Pixar do it again?

Brave trailer



3. Sylvester Stallone's action, macho man ensemble are back once again in THE EXPENDABLES 2, with this time his team having to face villain Jean Claude Van Damme who plans on holding the world to ransom using plutonium. With Arnie and Bruce on board can Sly and his team save the day? Also starring: Liam Hemsworth & Randy Couture. Will there be enough fighting?

The Expendables 2 trailer




4. Dim-witted comedy THE THREE STOOGES is up next. Moe, Larry and Curly must raise enough money to save their childhood orphanage but accidentally find themselves intertwined in a murder plot and a reality TV show. Expect a seriously slapstick comedy. Starring: Sean Hayes, Chris Diamantopoulos, Will Sasso, & Jane Lynch. Tickle that funny bone?

The Three Stooges trailer




5. Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen star in TAKE THIS WALTZ which is about a married woman who falls for the artist who lives across the street. Expect some humour from Rogen and some drama from Williams. Also starring: Sarah Silverman & Aaron Abrams. Something a little more subtle?

Take This Waltz trailer





6. Up finally from the director of Calendar Girls is THE WEDDING VIDEO starring Robert Webb as the groom to be married and Rufus Hound as the best man filming everything that leads up to the wedding and the day itself. With these two involved expect to laugh a lot. Also starring: Lucy Punch & Miriam Margoyles. The build up to the big day?

The Wedding Video trailer




A large variety to choose from this weekend then, plenty for everyone I have to say. Leaves me in a slight dilemma of what to see but unfortunately I won't be going to see any of them until next week so you will have to come back for a catch up review in a double bill in a few weeks. Enjoy your choice.

NEWS - Jesse Eisenberg & Dakota Fanning in talks for indie thriller; Night Moves; Brilliant new trailer for Looper

A piece of potential casting news and a fantastic new trailer for a Joseph Gordon Levitt film are the two top pieces of news to bring to your attention this week.


Jesse Eisenberg & Dakota Fanning in talks for indie thriller; Night Moves

Cropping up on a few websites this week has been the news that Jesse Eisenberg and Dakota Fanning may be starring in a new thriller, Night Moves. Eisenberg has been rumoured to the film for a while and I have noticed his name being possibly attached to it on a few websites recenty, however Dakota Fanning's name is a new one. Kelly Reichardt is to direct the film which is about three eco-terrorists who are plotting to blow up a dam. Already set to star as one of these is Peter Sarsgard and Eisenberg and Fanning are touted for the other two. More on this in the upcoming months.



Brilliant new trailer for Looper

To be released on 28th September is Looper, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt. A trailer has already been released for the film but the new international one can be seen at the link below:

Looper trailer

The plot of the film is based around time travel where in the future people are sent back in time to be assassinated by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, until that is his next target is his future self played by Bruce Willis. The premise sounds great and Levitt looks unrecognisable as the makeup crew have tried to make him look like Willis. I have to say nice work. Anyway I will be queuing for this one. See Levitt also in Premium Rush set to be released on 14th September.

QUESTION: What is your favourite Disney Pixar movie?

Disney Pixar have made some fantastic movies, starting with Toy Story, which is fair to say has ended up being one of the best trilogies of all time. Last week we saw a cartoon film and this week we see the release of the next Disney Pixar film Brave, so I thought it would be an idea to ask you which Disney Pixar film you think is your favourite. As usual I have listed 5 below but please add more if you feel your favourite isn't there as I can't go listing them all. Take a look and cast your vote.









1. FINDING NEMO - The story of the clown fish, and how a clown fish Father swims across the world in order to find his son Nemo who was kidnapped by humans and placed in a fish tank.












2. RATATOUILLE - A rat becoming a chef is the story here. Remy is a rat with high ambition and when he finds his puppet in an untrained chef he begins to train the boy to become the best chef in the country.











3. TOY STORY - Like I said before probably one of the best trilogies ever made. Woody and Buzz are two toys that come to life when humans aren't around, and lead a host of toys on journeys only a small toy could make.











4. UP - Sad and lonely after the death of his wife an elderly man fulfils his wife's dreams by attaching balloons to his house and flying off into the sunset, that is until he finds a young boy has accidentally strayed on board and they have ended up in a dangerous place.










5. WALL-E - The story of a single robot left on Earth to clear up after the mess humans have left. When a spaceship lands he finds himself on board and transported to a world where humans are now too fat to move and travel around in hovering wheelchairs.









There are your five to get you started but there are so many others that I could have chosen. Each of these films is fantastic in its own right, and all hold a message which is great for children and adults. This is why these films are so good in that they are great for children and adults. Anyway let me know which is your favourite Disney Pixar movie.

New on DVD this week: This Must Be The Place

There is only one release on DVD and Blu-Ray this week but I thought I'd bring it to your attention despite it not really getting much distribution across the UK in terms of a theatrical release. The film stars a very well known actor in a very strange role. Have a look at it below and see if it suits your fancy. This is the second week now where barely anything is being released, hopefully there is more to come in the upcoming weeks!!



THIS MUST BE THE PLACE - Sean Penn stars as a retired rock star in this comedy drama. Looking very much like an ageing gough, Penn travels across the U.S to hunt down the former Nazi war criminal who is responsible for his Father's international humiliation.


This Must Be The Place trailer

THE LORAX - Dr Seuss is back with a pointless creation.

I haven't announced what was to be released in cinemas this weekend. One reason being that I was away and the most important one is that there was nothing out to tell you about anyway. The only film to be released, that was high profile anyway, was Step Up 4 which is an avoidable film if you ask me. So as there wasn't much on, with nothing having been released and everything else having been seen and reviewed, we decided to see The Lorax, the next cartoon creation based on a story from Dr Seuss' collection. I've not seen many of the films based on his creations and I have not read any of his work so for me this film was no better than an average tale with stuff which can be classed as a yay, and stuff which could be classed as a big fat nah.

For starters this is a cartoon film which I'm sure most of you are aware of, and it is about a strange little creature with a moustache called the Lorax. The instant problem with the film is that there is actually no need for the Lorax at all. He does resemble the themes that are involved within the film but the story is more about a kid called Ted and his quest to find a living tree. This leads him to a man called the Ounce-ler, who tells the story of how it was his fault all the trees are gone and instead people breath artificial air supplied by corporations. The only way the Lorax becomes involved in this is because he was summoned once the trees were destroyed, and told the Ounce-ler that what he was doing was wrong. He may have sent a message for the children who were watching but I don't really understand why the film would be called the Lorax when he is really just a supporting character.

It plays out like an older version of a cartoon film, in that it sends out a very strong message and every twenty minutes there is a musical number. Not saying that this is a problem but in cartoon films of today we don't have many musical cartoons other than the old fashioned Disney's. The issue I sometimes have with the sing-a-longs are that they become cheesy and the songs are so catchy that I sing them for the next week!! Luckily not many of the songs are overly good enough to continue singing. The message left by the film seems to be about large corporations running the way the world works, and how important nature still is in our lives. In the story we see a plastic town in which most of the population live in, and they have never seen anything like a real living tree. This film will really send out a strong message to children and I do think it is a good film for kids.

The voice talent is good enough. DeVito is strong as the Lorax but he doesn't seem to be in it anywhere near as much as you may think he will be. Ed Helms plays the voice of the Ounce-ler and fits in with ease, even playing two different voices for the older and younger versions of his character. Taylor Swift and Zac Efron play the voices for our love chasing teen central characters and due to their age aren't miscast but they don't have to try very hard to really convince.

The final thought of the film is that it is simply OK. It is a bit of fun but there are some terrible moments. I haven't read the story before and maybe I am missing something but even if I was up to scratch with the original material I still don't think it would be a great film. With some of the cartoon films being released in this era, The Lorax falls way short and being familiar with source material is not going to change that. Overall it is simply just a film that was watched due to there being nothing else on worth watching that I haven't already seen.


Pros: Strong message and good for kids.

Cons: Not enough Lorax, and some awful songs.

5 / 10

Top 10 films of 2012 so far:

1. The Dark Knight Rises     10 / 10
2. The Hunger Games     8 / 10
3. Snow White And The Huntsman     8 / 10
4. Avengers Assemble     7.5 / 10
5. Ted     7.5 / 10
6. 21 Jump Street     7.5 / 10
7. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol     7 / 10
8. The Grey     7 / 10
9. Prometheus     6.5 / 10
10. Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World     6.5 / 10

TED - A live action Family Guy

There has been a slight delay in me bringing you my review on the film we saw last weekend, but I have finally found time to sit down and tell you what I thought of Ted, Seth McFarlane's first attempt at a feature film since his success with Family Guy, American Dad and The Cleveland Show. For starters let me say if you are easily offended with fat jokes, toilet humour, racism and subtle 9/11 remarks then I can not suggest highly enough that you do not see this movie because that is the basis of what makes this film so funny.

The story is fairly simple with a child wishing his teddy bear could talk and low and behold that is exactly what happens. After a few years of celebrity stardom for Ted, being the first talking stuffed teddy of course, his fame has worn away and he struggles through life much like other celebrities who did very much the same thing. Patrick Stewart highlights this in some great narration. Twenty odd years later and the child is now Mark Wahlberg and he still has his talking teddy, only now he is a potty mouthed druggy who charms his way around women. This is just too much for Mark's girlfriend Mila Kunis and she demands Ted leaves which is tough for Mark considering he grew up with this Teddy. Other than this we have a slight kidnapping subplot which seems slightly thrown in but you forgive it due to Giovanni Ribisi's great portrayal of the kidnapper, creepy he certainly is.

Right lets get down to the main question: is this funny? Well i can tell you now it sure as hell is! Perhaps it isn't quite as funny as the trailer suggested but it still has some genius moments. Some of the best of these moments are during Ted's interview for a job or his unashamed interaction with four hookers in his apartment. There is also a very good sequence evolving around Flash Gordon which ties in with the theme of not being able to grown up, considering there is so much reference to the 70's and 80's. The film also is very much like an episode of Family Guy. Someone will talk about a moment in the past and we get a cutaway to said moment which is hilarious in it's own right. This is very clever as it works so well for Family Guy, but one of the problems with this is that the humour doesn't really interact with the story and instead we have random lines thrown in which although funny don't serve much purpose to the story. We also get many jokes which could go over some people's heads as they reference many famous people or are self-referenced such as when Ted claims he doesn't sound like Peter Griffin. There are others but I'll let you find that out for yourselves.

The casting of Mark Wahlberg at first had me slightly baffled but I have to say I have grown to actually prefer him in comedy films than I do in his typical generic action roles. He brings a likeability to his comic performances and here he is very believable as a man with a taking teddy. He also performs some scenes better than I could imagine anyone else to. The star of the show is Ted though, voiced by writer and director Seth McFarlane. Each time Ted comes on screen you are instantly hooked and it is generally him, or his scenes with Mark, that are the comic moments. Thankfully there isn't much time when Ted isn't actually on screen. McFarlane has done incredibly well in altering his writing to feature film territory and has created a character that everyone will just love despite his crudeness. Although at times the dialogue becomes a little cheesy, McFarlane still manages to please us with lines such as; 'back off Susan Boyle.' You'll have to watch the film to understand the context.

Overall then we have a film that has certainly come up trumps. I personally was a little disappointed in it but I was expecting it to be mindblowingly funny, and I still have never laughed till I cried since Borat and I expected that here. However talking to various people they found it better than they were expecting so I think it is safe to say it is one of the better comedy films to have been released this year. Perhaps I am being harsh on it but this is probably due to the typical comedy trailers that seem to take away all the funny bits. Please do go see this film because there is plenty more funny to be seen, just don't go in with ridiculously high expectations like me and I'm sure you will come out loving it. I was slightly disappointed and still found it ace.

Pros: Original idea and a great character in Ted.

Cons: Some of the shocks are given away in the trailer.

7.5 / 10

Top 10 films of 2012 so far:   

1. The Dark Knight Rises     10 / 10
2. The Hunger Games     8 / 10
3. Snow White And The Huntsman     8 / 10
4. Avengers Assemble     7.5 / 10
5. Ted     7.5 / 10
6. 21 Jump Street     7.5 / 10
7. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol     7 / 10
8. The Grey     7 / 10
9. Prometheus     6.5 / 10
10. Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World     6.5 / 10