At the beginning there are long shots where all that fills the frame are the faces of these offbeat caricatures. And it makes sense. Better to keep the focus on them because the story, for the most part, is joyless. It is simply about people chasing their desires and in someway or another not getting them. Perhaps thats the message. Perhaps the Coens want us to think the next time we start feeling selfish, but if their interviews are any indication, they couldn’t care less. And thats where I think ‘Burn’ lost me. This reviewer wants to be a little more engaged when he goes to the theater. As one friend noted, the movies cost a lot more now a days. We shouldn’t be paying a lot more for a lot less.

 

But on the more positive side, you have to respect the Coens for not following their Oscar winning ‘No Country’ with some pretentious art film or high intensity action film. They chose the route of the spy comedy, and what a little travelled path that is. As shallow and contrite popcorn fare, and yet somehow funny, this film succeeds. You won’t have to like the characters (Pitt is the only truly likeable character. Perhaps because he is the only one not motivated by greed.), you’ll just have to endure their silly antics as they chase cars around Washington D.C., go to the Russians to try to blackmail the CIA, and get themselves way over their heads. Its not a happy little tale, but it can be funny.

Shia LaBeouf stars as Jerry Shaw, a likable slacker who just wants to get by. Along with him is Michelle Monaghan as Rachel Holloman, a single mom who is too busy to remember where she put her keys. The pairing isn’t the most natural choice but that was probably done on purpose. When these characters first meet, they have nothing in common, they fight and fight eachother as they try to fight their way out of the trouble they’ve gotten into, eventually finding common ground.
The movie starts out emotionally, allowing LaBeouf to show his softer side, and then it kicks it into high gear as our main characters find technology acting against them. Its exciting. The camera swivels close to danger, just as the characters do, not letting you feel detached from the action. Its surprising to see a summer movie this far out of the summer season, but its welcome.

The movie does start to lag a little in the middle. For all the movie’s promise at the beginning, it never quite lives up to its high concept premise. The sets and locations are incredible. The intricate chase scenes make for some hair raising moments. But you never really feel like it was all completely thought out. All the differing elements do tie together at the end, but with a summer full of blockbusters that exceeded expectations, this reviewer hoped this one could send it out with a blast, only it never quite does. This is the kind of movie I would have loved in junior high and anyone under 15 will absolutely love it. In fact, I liked it a lot. It was a very entertaining movie. It just engages on one level. For a weekend night thats fine.

Why you should see it:
Because this is a fun flick that will send you on an adventure that could only happen in your local cineplex.