Burn After Reading may be the Coen brothers’ most successful film at the box office, but it’s definitely not their best film… nor even their comedy by far. Sure, it’s difficult to follow their Oscar darling No Country For Old Men, but the directors are armed with an elite cast that includes veterans George Clooney and Frances McDormand. While these actors turn in the amusingly chatty performances you would expect, it’s Brad Pitt who most enjoyably steals scenes as a bumbling gym trainer trying to profit from stumbling on what may be top-secret, sensitive information. John Malkovich, as the blackmail mark, is a pleasure to watch as always, and J.K. Simmons also makes the most out of his brief appearances. Although the funny parts are indeed very funny, Burn After Reading is sure to split audiences with some utterly weird parts and an overall impression of pointlessness… but aren’t those just staples of the Coen brothers’ style?
