• Home
  • Meetings
  • Events
  • Blog
  • E-Board
  • Around Boston
NUFEC
.

Marguerite Darcy on Burn After Reading

2/20/2015

0 Comments

 
Burn After Reading is a film directed by the Cohen Brothers. So this movie is basically a mess. And people die. Welcome! But the film is also a very funny satire, and, what’s more, it’s easy to watch. First of all, the actors deliver a great performance. I think the character I enjoyed the most was Katie Cox (Tilda Swinton), who does an amazing job of being a constantly exasperated and scornful woman/bitch. She is so pissed at everything that it’s pitiful; she makes you realize how silly it is to be angry at petty things.

While always entertaining, the film also manages to effectively criticize the society we live in. The movie mainly denounces two things: superficiality within our society, and the ineptitude of the entities that govern us.
Picture
The first criticism concerns both the importance we attach to our personal appearance and our expectations for others. We see Linda (Frances McDormand) working at a fitness center, but definitely not working out, and struggling to get money to pay for cosmetic surgeries. Crucial ones, of course. Because, let’s be serious, who can find love or be appealing with a belly, small boobs, or perceivable wrinkles? Nonsense! Get me that surgeon! The storyline of the movie is actually her journey towards achieving this goal, be it dangerous or illegal. The longer it goes on, the crazier and funnier it gets.

Although she is not satisfied with her own appearance, Linda judges men based on theirs. We see her wandering through a park gauging men as if she was in a supermarket and wondering what she was going to eat that night. But appearance is not the only criterion; no. The man should be funny, too! No that will be all, thank you.

For the second criticism, the film seems to be asking: who have we put at the head of our countries? And answering: well, pretty incompetent people! When the situation gets out of hand, the highest officials in control appear completely powerless. Worse, they don’t really mind it. Should you die in a way that embarrasses the government, your corpse would be discretly disposed of. So, well, let’s hope you do not.

Overall this movie is a really great time, worth seeing for its quality and fun; really good actors (John Malkovitch, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, etc), crazy situations, and assured laughs.  

Grade: B+
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    AJ Martin
    Andy Robinson
    Anime
    Anthony Formicola
    Anu Gulati
    Arjun Agarwal
    Arzu Martinez
    Ben Garbow
    Brandon Isaacson
    Brian Hamilton
    Carter Sigl
    Dan Simeone
    Discussion
    Elizabeth Johnson Wilson
    Eliza Rosenberry
    Emily Fisler
    Erick Sanchez
    Eric Tatar
    Essays
    Festivals
    Gabrielle Ulubay
    Grace Phalon
    Haley Emerson
    Here's Some Movies
    Ian Wolff
    IFF Boston
    IFFBoston 2015
    Interviews
    Isaac Feldberg
    Kunal Asarsa
    Library
    Lists
    Marguerite Darcy
    Marissa Marchese
    Marli Dorn
    Mary Tobin
    Meghan Murphy
    Mike Muse
    Mitch Macro
    Neel Shah
    Netflix Instant Watch
    Parth Parekh
    Patrick Roos
    Profiles
    Reviews
    Short Films
    Television
    This Week In Movies
    Tyler Rosini

    Want to Write for Us?

    Contact NUFEC at [email protected] if you're interested in writing for this blog!

    Archives

    October 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    April 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    October 2019
    September 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.