TWELVE MONKEYS (1995)

"I'm am insane, and you are my insanity."

In 2035 the surface of the earth is so fucked by a virus that the remaining humans are forced to live underground in a steampunkish world of gears, hoses, goggles and random gauges.  Despite the fact that everything looks like the inside of a WWII submarine, they've somehow developed a rudimentary form of time travel.  Prisoner Bruce Willis is "volunteered" to go back to 1996 to follow up on some clues mysterious about the source of the virus.  But, since this is a rough science, they accidentally send him back to 1990 (instead of 1996) and he's promptly tossed in an insane asylum.  There he meets sexy doctor Madeleine Stowe and fellow crazy inmate Brad Pitt (you know he's crazy because he moves his fingers a lot).  Maybe this is where the idea for it all started because when Bruce mentions humanity being stuck down by a virus it peaks the interest of Pitt, who's father just happens to own a laboratory capable of creating a deadly virus.  As Willis is whisked back and forth throughout time he begins to question his own sanity.

I remember seeing TWELVE MONKEYS opening weekend in the theater and liking it.  Watching it again now for this review, the special effects haven't aged well, but it's still an interesting story.  Solid performances by Bruce Willis and Madeleine Stowe, standard Terry Gilliam visuals that would have looked better with a higher budget, time travel elements we've seen better elsewhere, David Morse going incognito with a long orange ponytail and a bright yellow jacket, cinematography by Roger Pratt who also did BRAZIL.  Worth a watch.

BURN AFTER READING (2008)

BURN AFTER READING is a nice little self-contained story about a bunch of dueling idiots.

Longtime CIA analyst John Malkovich has just been fired because of his drinking problem.  To combat his boredom and in hopes of getting a book deal he starts writing his memoirs about his career.  When a CD holding his manuscript and financial data ends up in a local gym locker room (thanks to Malkovich's wife's divorce lawyer's secretary) it ends up in the hands of two personal trainers, Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand, who think that they can blackmail Malkovich into paying for it's safe return.  Other equally selfish and idiotic characters included in this mess are: gym manager Richard Jenkins who's in love with McDormand despite that fact that she's a moron; Malkovich's wife who's having an affair with the sex-crazed George Clooney and two CIA higher ups who observe the whole thing from CIA headquarters.

Some viewers might be troubled by the lack of plot and likeable characters, but I think that might be the entire point of the film.  Even if it wasn't I enjoyed it and would gladly watch it again.  Extra bonus points for George Clooney's dildo machine...I think I just came up with a great name for my new punk band!

Recommended.