tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50729036669454163.post1986884878369900982..comments2024-02-24T19:35:48.123-08:00Comments on Lost in the Frame: Burn After ReadingKasey Mohammadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13353259413006470925noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50729036669454163.post-47823301760213782172009-03-15T20:55:00.000-07:002009-03-15T20:55:00.000-07:00I've finally (just) seen this. I was very pleasant...I've finally (just) seen this. I was very pleasantly surprised. From the beginning (based on the global-to-locale zoom and the effects on actors' and place names) I prepared for something close to near-Grisham parodying proportions. I wasn't let down. In fact, I felt the idea of the innocent, the "I'm in over my head/there are power struggles/jargons we are ignorant of," was just the right pitch. If the govt. spooks were "in" on it while the unsuspecting wrongheaded gym employees were ignorant, then your idea about our apathy being spread around doesn't hold as much weight, but the cluelessness of the CIA in dealing with Chad and Linda's Cold War/spy novel references being on par with the latter's cluelessness about global politics really works. Neither side knows who Linda Litzke is working for, not even Linda. This was wonderful.Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04475648622462253163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50729036669454163.post-18691819687790970032008-09-13T00:43:00.000-07:002008-09-13T00:43:00.000-07:00I first want to say that I haven't yet seen this m...I first want to say that I haven't yet seen this movie but plan to...<BR/><BR/>And since I'm going to have to see it to comment, I'm sure I'll have part II to this, but....<BR/><BR/>I'm not sure about moral weight: the one thing the Coen Bros. seem to repeat is their disdain for humanity --certainly an attempt at moral weight, replacing a joie de vivre, or at least an indifference toward it-- a cynicism of human actions that reminds me of Robert Altman's actors in Short Cuts (not quite Three Women) and Michel Gondry at his least fanciful; wherein the actions of these agents/actors/Actors are interchangeable, and there's a fascination with the mundane and idiosyncrasies that takes away from the story line. This surface cynicism hides a deeper cynicism, or perhaps betrays it: most people simply aren't that interesting. These characters are self-interested and flawed, all driven to end badly in some way, it seems, but almost flawed in a flowery way, like we're supposed to be surprised flaws can be that flawed and it's funny. I guess. <BR/>But not when it's repeated in every movie. This "human as clod/klutz/putz/bumbling imbecile" as motif isn't bad per se, but the repetition of it gets to be somewhat predictable and downright annoying.Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04475648622462253163noreply@blogger.com