Burn after Reading Opens 65th Venice Film Festival

BURN AFTER READING is opening the festival tonight, but as I mentioned, jury members and the press were able to see it this afternoon.

BURN AFTER READING is very funny. It is a convoluted caper that combines marriage, politics, and everyday people who get caught up in a fabricated conspiracy. I think the Coen Bros. were sitting around one rainy day with nothing to do and they let their imaginations go into ,free range, mode. They get a little lazy with the overuse of the ,f, word, but the 40 something Brad Pitt playing a 20 year old trainer at a gym … is hilarious. Everyone, obviously, just takes themselves too seriously, especially the CIA … but a scary commentary on governmental incompetence. 

            The short film from Manoel de Oliveira, Do Visivel ao Invisivel … From the Visible to the Invisible… that came first was a kindly satire on the influence of cell phones on human communication. This is one all media literacy education teachers will want to have in their collections!