Too much use of the F-word, but a very clever, convoluted comedy.

Rating: Null/10 (30 January 2009)

From the minds that gave us such screwball stories as 'Fargo' and "The Man Who Wasn't There" comes "Burn After Reading." A common theme in all these movies has that something which shouldn't be such a big deal does in fact become a big deal, and all hell breaks loose as a result.
Frances McDormand is Linda Litzke, right smack in middle age, and working at an exercise spa. She looks at herself in a mirror and sees boobs that need to be propped up, a tummy that needs to be tucked, and lower arm skin that needs to be trimmed. We see her in consultation with a cosmetic surgeon. But to Linda's dismay her work health insurance plan will not cover the costs. What is she to do?
Meanwhile John Malkovich as government agent Osbourne (Oz) Cox is being reassigned, he doesn't know why, and his bosses won't give a straight answer. So he decides to quit, 'honor' and all that, and write his memoirs. He dictates his fictional story onto his voice recorder and eventually transfers them to his computer. This simple story is what gets mistaken for Russian secrets and sets the rest of the story in motion.
Linda's dim-witted co-worker at the exercise spa is Brad Pitt as Chad Feldheimer. When a janitor finds a computer disk in the dressing room, and Linda and Chad view the contents, they mistake Oz's fiction for real government secrets and Linda decides that is her way to get her cosmetic surgery paid for. They will contact the Russian Embassy and give them the disk in exchange for money.
The cast and relationships are very convoluted but include Tilda Swinton as the wife of Oz, Katie Cox, who is not faithful to their marriage. George Clooney as Harry Pfarrer, who also is not faithful. The always steady Richard Jenkins as the spa manager Ted Treffon. Elizabeth Marvel as Harry's wife Sandy Pfarrer, who also is not faithful. And J.K. Simmons (news editor, 'Spiderman') as CIA Superior who quits trying to make sense of all he hears about this case and just wishes everyone would disappear. Including the bodies!
Again, I don't know why they insisted that several of the characters, especially Oz, use such pervasive foul language, because it detracts from the story. But other than that it is a clever and entertaining dark comedy, as are all of their movies.