Burn After Reading

Dir. by Ethan and Joel Coen, starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, John Malkovich

A couple of days after the newest film by the Coen Brothers hit the screens I went to see “Burn After Reading” at the Tynside Cinema. Go and see it!
Brad Pitt and George Clooney are in this one and it is nowhere close to being an Ocean’s film. Clooney is an unfaithful, confused member of the American treasury and Pitt is a personal trainer in a fitness club who seems to have a negative IQ. Tilda Swifton is not as evil as she is in “Narnia” or in “Michael Clayton” but she is one of the more determined characters. These three are just a selection of the A list actors who play parts in this film.

The story of the film revolves around a former CIA agent (John Malkovich) who “quit” (got fired) his job he starts writing his memoires. His wife (Swifton)sleeps around and is planning on getting a divorce. At one point due to dubious reasons some extracts of his memoires fall into the hands of a rather stupid pair of people working in a fitness club. One of them Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) figures CIA material is something good to see in order to get money for a cosmetic surgery. She sleeps around with the same person as the wife of the CIA agent does Harry Pfarrer (Clooney).

The whole film evolves around secrecy, accidents, money and sleeping around with people. It is funny, confusing and one of the films that I am considering to see it again.

Overall opinion: 5/5

Review by Solveig Werner