Burn After Watching

What better pick for a Christmas movie than a comedic espionage film? Well, I didn't choose Burn After Reading because of its seasonal quality. I chose it because I was tired of seeing TV spots begging me to see this "brilliant" film, and after a while, Brad Pitt getting punched in the nose gets darn funny.
And, surprisingly, Brad Pitt was the funniest part about this movie. But that's not saying much, because I didn't find the movie that funny at all. I probably never should have picked the DVD off the shelf at all, given my previous experience with the Coen brothers. I suffered through Raising Arizona forcing laughter out of my unwilling chest at things that I recognized as jokes but wasn't quite tickled by; and I don't care how much critical acclaim or awards No Country For Old Men got. I just didn't get it. And I couldn't even get through O, Brother, Where Art Thou?. I honestly don't know why I keep doing this to myself. No offense to any Coen brothers fans out there, or the Coen bros. themselves, for that matter.
First, I suppose I should give a quick plot synopsis. Burn After Reading tells the story of a CIA agent who loses a very important disc, which is found by a pair of bumbling gym employees who embark on a ridiculous quest to blackmail him. There are all sorts of entwined stories, and I think one of the characters says it best: "I think they're all sleeping with each other." I'm paraphrasing here.
So, I truthfully had such high hopes for this film, but it didn't deliver. I could appreciate its dark, absurdist humor to a certain extent, and I'm certainly someone who loves a weird movie. But I just didn't get it. Every "joke" felt half-executed, like it was about to be funny, but then it just stopped. I have to admit I laughed out loud at Brad Pitt's dorky dance moves, and I applaud the wardrobe and hair stylists for managing to make him look dorky in the first place; but all I can really say about this movie is that if you like the Coens, you'll probably love it, but if you don't like the Coens, you're probably better off staying away from it, but you might get a kick out of one or two moments. And it's certainly worth it to watch Tilda Swinton say "Stop the foolishness!" in that accent of hers.