COEN brothers films usually consist of one measure of farcical humour mixed with one measure of suspense, with the relative size of each portion the variable factor.
Last year’s gut-wrenching No Country for Old Men sent critics and movie-goers into raptures, but fans of the Coens’ more comedic efforts, such as The Big Lebowski, may have left the cinemas with shredded nerves rather than the aching sides they sought.
Burn After Reading may be just the tonic then, stuffed with laughs and populated by characters drawn in the classic Coen brothers way.
That is not to say there is no suspense. There are moments of shocking violence that are all the more effective in their isolation.
Enhancing the surprises is an unpredictable plot, something of a godsend for the keen cinemagoer tired of paying money just to pre-empt plot developments.
It’s another day at the office for CIA analyst Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) before he is informed that he is being demoted, much to his indignation.
Cox quits the CIA to concentrate on drinking and writing his memoirs, much to the disgust of his cold-hearted wife Katie (Tilda Swinton), who is having a secret affair with married federal marshall Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney).
Across town at Hardbodies Fitness Centre, employees Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) and Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt) stumble across a disc containing what appears to be sensitive information and decide to exploit their find for financial gain.
Coen regulars McDormand and Clooney slot into their roles beautifully, particularly McDormand as the plastic surgery-obsessed gym worker.
Malkovich and Pitt both seem stoked just to be there and provide wonderful performances that generate many of the film’s biggest laughs.