Idiotic fun.

Rating: 7/10 (25 December 2008)

Writer/directors Ethan and Joel Coen have already set their standard and BURN AFTER READING falls a bit short. There is just a notable absence of the substance that marked their previous mega-hits. Albeit the cast pushes forward and George Clooney and Brad Pitt are dangerously hilarious. Sex addiction, blackmail, marital infidelity, self-loving and murder occupy this outrageous spy comedy. John Malkovich plays a CIA agent that loses his job; so he decides to write his memoirs...as if anyone really cared. Two intelligence-challenged gym employees Pitt and Frances McDormand get their greedy little hands on a disc of irrelevant information believed to be CIA secrets and try selling such to the Russian embassy...as if anyone cared. Clooney is a sex addict that is being forced to leave his wife/girlfriend by his long-time friend and lover Tilda Swinton. Critics claim this effort from the Coens as smart and funny; maybe somewhat smart and at the same time brainlessly silly in place of funny.
Pitt and Clooney are not so disappointing, both have survived the trenches of mediocrity and are troopers..onward until you say wrap. And in my opinion Swinton could've been replaced with anyone. Also in the cast: David Rasche, Richard Jenkins and all-around favorite J.K. Simmons.