The Coens are my favorite filmmakers.  I went into this knowing it was more Fargo than No Country for Old Men.  Unfortunately, it’s no Fargo either.  All the elements were there: inept criminals, blackmail, money, and genuine shock value.  It’s fast paced, brightly colored, and amusing.  So what happened?

Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand star as two fitness club employees,  Chad and Linda, who find seemingly top secret info and try to sell it back to the owner, Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) for major money (it’s really just part of a crappy memoir burned onto a disc full of financial info for a divorce case).  Well, things don’t go exactly as planned.  See what I mean about shock value?  At the same time, Ozzie’s wife is having an affair with Harry, played in his now usual (at least for these directors) cartoon style by George Clooney.  What comes out the other side is a single punch line at the end of a two hour set-up.

To tell the truth, I wanted to love it.  But at best it ends up being mediocre.  I’m not saying that it doesn’t have its moments, because it truly does.  The whole thing is just mellow and low key, which just doesn’t work if the jokes aren’t clever enough.  The film grows on you, but at this point in the Coens’ career, with Fargo and No Country behind them, it shouldn’t have to.

Rating:  

Previews I Liked:

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist

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