I'm a fan of out-of-the-box movies that make you think, even if they offer a good dose of comedy. Burn After Reading is one of those movies that, upon finishing, I felt like I was on a truly bizarre journey, filled with strange characters, even stranger decisions, and events that escalate in an absurd way, yet at the same time, I couldn't take my eyes off it.
The film tells the story of a group of characters, each living in their own world, but by chance their lives intersect due to a tape containing classified information. The whole story is based on the principle of "misunderstandings" that lead to disaster, and the strange dialogues make you laugh, but I'm not sure if the laughter is due to the comedy or the absurdity that's unfolding. Although the story seems a bit espionage-themed, the entire film is a satire of the world of intelligence and people who try to be too smart.
The acting in the film was top notch. Brad Pitt was one of the best parts of the film in his role as a silly young man living his life in a purely comedic way. George Clooney gave a terrific performance as a strange self-obsessed character while McDormand was the driving force behind the main events with her random actions and pursuit of a dream to change her life.
What I liked about the film was that it didn't try to explain everything to the viewer. Instead, it let you watch and get your own impressions as if the directors wanted to say "We're not here to give you answers we're here to show you how random and sometimes silly the world can This was what drew me most to the film and made me feel like I was watching something completely different from anything I'd seen before.
