Burn After Reading (2008)

5/10

This film tried so very hard to be awesome and it almost was. They had the cast, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, John Malkovich to name just a few. They had the quirky storyline and they had some classic situations throughout the film. So what happened? They tried too hard!

This film was pushing so hard to hit so many characters that even some great performances from the all-star cast couldn't cover the fact that every character was far and away too cliche to keep me interested! Brad Pitt's dumb gym jock was just too dumb, George Clooney's Needy playboy was just too cool and then too desperate, and Malkovich was just there to get pissed off and look beaten down! I can't wait til this film gets remade, by a director with a little more sense of subtlety! (Sorry I do like the Bros other work)

The Plot:

Burn After Reading, is a new comedy thriller from Academy Award winners, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men, Fargo, The Big Lebowski).

At the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency in Arlington, Virginia, analyst Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) arrives for a top-secret meeting. Unfortunately for Cox, the secret is soon out: he is being ousted. Cox does not take the news particularly well and returns to his Georgetown home to work on his memoirs and his drinking, not necessarily in that order. His wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) is dismayed, though not particularly surprised; she is already well into an illicit affair with Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), a married federal marshal, and sets about making plans to leave Cox for Harry.

Elsewhere in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, and seemingly worlds apart, Hardbodies Fitness Centers employee Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) can barely concentrate on her work. She is consumed with her life plan for extensive cosmetic surgery, and confides her mission to can-do colleague Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt). Linda is all but oblivious to the fact that the gym's manager Ted Treffon (Richard Jenkins) pines for her even as she arranges dates via the Internet with other men.

When a computer disc containing material for the CIA analyst's memoirs accidentally falls into the hands of Linda and Chad, the duo are intent on exploiting their find. As Ted frets, "No good can come of this," events spiral out of everyone's and anyone's control, in a cascading series of darkly hilarious encounters.


The Cast:

	George Clooney	...	Harry Pfarrer
	Frances McDormand	...	Linda Litzke
	John Malkovich	...	Osbourne Cox
	Tilda Swinton	...	Katie Cox
	Brad Pitt	...	Chad Fieldhiemer
	Richard Jenkins	...	Ted Teffron
	Elizabeth Marvel	...	Sandy Pfarrer
	David Rasche	...	C.I.A Officer
	J.K. Simmons	...	C.I.A Superior
	Olek Krupa	...	Krapotkin
	Michael Countryman	...	Alan
	Kevin Sussman	...	Divorce Lawyer #1
	J.R. Horne	...	Divorce Lawyer #2
	Hamilton Clancy	...	Peck
	Armand Schultz	...	Olson

The Trailer

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)

7/10

Over all a very enjoyable film, if you have been or are married then you will get a whole lot more out of this film then those who have yet to take the plunge. This film is like spy version of "War of the Roses". Except for all they try, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie fail to create that stage chemistry like Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner did nearly every film, they still have some great chemistry, but it is forgettable. There are some classic moments in this film, especially the dance/frisk scene, but they are over shadowed by a pretty large amount of cliche moments which is what takes this film from what could have potentially been a classic film to just a good watch!

The Plot:

John and Jane Smith are a normal married couple, living a normal life in a normal suburb and working normal jobs, too. However, in reality, John and Jane are both skilled assassins working for different firms, both the best in their field, each concealing their true profession from the other. When both are assigned to kill a man named Benjamin Danz, nicknamed "The Tank", they encounter each other on the job and discover the truth. Both employers task one Smith to eliminate the other, and each must choose between their personal and professional lives.


The Cast:

	Brad Pitt	...	John Smith
	Angelina Jolie	...	Jane Smith
	Vince Vaughn	...	Eddie
	Adam Brody	...	Benjamin Danz
	Kerry Washington	...	Jasmine
	Keith David	...	Father
	Chris Weitz	...	Martin Coleman
	Rachael Huntley	...	Suzy Coleman
	Michelle Monaghan	...	Gwen

Trailer:

Ocean’s Thirteen (2007)

7/10

Very entertaining and with an all star cast, every one had a role to play and they all played it very well! That said this is still another Ocean’s movie and as usual they have a plan where everything seems like it is going to fall apart at every turn, but somehow comes off exactly as they intended it too! When I see on of the Ocean’s film I get the feeling that this is more of an “In” movie, than one for the fans.
Still very cool, very slick and plenty fun to watch!

The Plot:

The last time we saw Danny Ocean's crew, they were paying back ruthless casino mogul Terry Benedict after stealing millions from him. However, it's been a while since they've come back together, which is all about to change. When one of their own, Reuben Tishkoff builds a hotel with known casino owner Willy Banks, the last thing he ever wanted was to get cut out of the deal personally by the loathsome Banks. Banks' attitude even goes so far as to finding the amusement in Tishkoff's misfortune when the double crossing lands Reuben in the hospital because of a heart attack. However, Danny and his crew won't stand for Banks and what he's done to a friend. Uniting with their old enemy Benedict, who himself has a vendetta against Banks, the crew is out to pull off a major plan. One that will unfold on the night Banks' newest hot spot opens up, when the crew is out to bankrupt one of the city's most despised businessmen. But they're not in this for the money, but for the revenge.

Cast:

Brad Pitt...Rusty Ryan

George Clooney...Danny Ocean

Matt Damon...Linus Caldwell / Lenny Pepperidge

Michael Mantell...Dr. Stan

Elliott Gould...Reuben Tishkoff

Ray Xifo...Reuben's Butler

Al Pacino...Willy Bank

Adam Lazarre-White...Bank's Junior Executive

Eddie Jemison...Livingston Dell

Don Cheadle...Basher Tarr / Fender Roads

Shaobo Qin...Yen / Mr. Weng

Casey Affleck...Virgil Malloy

Scott Caan...Turk Malloy

Bernie Mac...Frank Catton

Carl Reiner...Saul Bloom / Kensington Chubb

Trailer