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movie review - Burn After Reading

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

This might have been called "Everything you Wanted to Know About Washington DC But Were Afraid to Find Out". It's about a number of desperadoes that come together in a fight over .. well, nothing. With a superb cast and a story that makes you afraid that it could be realistic - or worse, based on real events - this is a fast-paced affair involving the stolen memoirs of a washed-up CIA analyst that falls into very much the wrong hands. The outcomes for the various players are by and large tragic but it's played for laughs (or maybe winces) by the famous brother writer-directors.

I mean they bring in David Rasche to deliver some cleverly-wrapped exposition at a couple of points and simply drop the final act of the movie. What we think is an escalation turns out to be the finale. Amazing.

Not recommended. Except maybe for fans of the famous brother writer-directors.