Burn After Reading

Past 12 midnight last night, I watched Burn After Reading. I guess the title comes from notices contained in top-secret documents (like "This message will self-destruct in 5 seconds").

The film by the Coen Brothers has an ensemble cast of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton, John Malkovich and Frances McDormand. Like most of the Coens' films, the movie has quirky characters whose lives are greatly affected by circumstances.

It's good to watch and unpretentious. The film made me realize how old Brad Pitt is. He still has the figure that young men in 20s or 30s would die to have but his face tells it all. His wrinkles are not smoothed over by make up. Same thing for George Clooney. The film also shows how great an actress Tilda Swinton is.

And while watching the film, I kept trying to see the film editing that has made the Coen Brothers Oscar-nominated for their other films. Sadly, I couldn't seem to "see" it.

I still prefer O Brother, Where Art Thou?