Burn After Reading (R, 2008)

Forced to quit his CIA analyst job, Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) vows to write his memoirs -- in between shots of whatever he's drinking at the moment. His chilly wife, Katie (Tilda Swinton), can't be bothered to be sympathetic; she's too busy sleeping with Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), a married federal marshal who's into infidelity, jogging, and hardwood floors. Then Osborne's manifesto-in-progress -- and a bunch of other personal data -- is purloined, falling into the hands of dim-bulb gym trainer Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt) and his coworker Linda Litzky (Frances McDormand), who desperately yearns for plastic surgery. Linda thinks the manuscript (and, ostensibly, its secrets) could be her ticket to beauty-ville, leading her and Chad down a very messy road. And they're not the only ones on the path, either.

Wickedly funny and plainly outrageous, BURN AFTER READING gleefully takes potshots at spy films, making a big deal out of nothing, really. The farce begins with the opening credits' satellite pictures and sinister footfalls and doesn't let up from there. In the Coens' zany universe, nothing is sacred -- not marriage, not friendship, not even the CIA. Violence punctuates the jokes (you'll laugh; you can't help it). The brothers have assembled an incomparable cast, mixing up a potent dark comedy potion. Start with Pitt (as funny as he's ever been), then add a dash of Swinton, a swig of Clooney, and plenty of Malkovich for good measure. But it's really McDormand who owns the film; Linda is so desperate and yet so likeable that the madness she cooks up is almost palatable.

Still, Burn After Reading is no Fargo. For all its cheek, it's not actually all that brazen. It doesn't push the envelope far enough -- at least for a Coen brothers movie. It lacks a certain amount inspiration and, well, to paraphrase one character, a point. Not that having a point is a must. But when characters are expended as blithely as they are here, you can't help asking that question. Then again, maybe we don't always need a reason to laugh out loud.

Studio: Focus Features
Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Cast: Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 96 minutes
Theatrical release: September 11, 2008
DVD release: December 21, 2008
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: pervasive language, some sexual content and violence.