“Burn After Reading”
D: Ethan and Joel Coen
S: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich and Tilda Swinton

MANILA, Philippines—After the critical and commercial success of “No Country for Old Men,” what could Joel and Ethan Coen do for an encore? You’d naturally expect a follow-up that’s just as substantial, right? But, then again, the media-wary siblings are not known to play to expectations. In “Burn After Reading,” they return to the irreverently unconventional filmmaking aesthetic and sardonic wit that were on glorious display in 1987’s “Raising Arizona” and 1996’s “Fargo.”

The Coens’ screwball comedy follows a series of events that ensue after a CD containing the unpublished memoir of Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich)—a CIA analyst who quit his job after he was demoted because of his drinking problem—ends up in the hands of gym employees, Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt) and Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand), who’s been wanting to “reinvent” herself through cosmetic surgery.

Intriguing information

Thinking that the disc’s intriguing information is more important than it is, Feldheimer and Litzke conspire to blackmail the arrogantly defiant Cox. And, the fact that Linda’s insurance company refuses to pay for the extensive—and very pricey—surgical procedure she’s been excited about adds greater urgency to the situation!

But, the scheming duo’s plan soon backfires and drags more people into the confounding fray, including Cox’s two-timing pediatrician wife, Katie (Tilda Swinton) and her spineless and sex-starved other man, Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney)—not to mention some very suspicious Russian bureaucrats! It doesn’t take long before deception, greed and vanity take a heavy toll on their lives.

The film is more entertaining than cerebrally engrossing. Characterized by its breezy pace and tongue-in-cheek humor, it weaves a mirthful mesh of witty but benign patter—and triumphs as a comedic confection, because the diverse motivations and silly antics of its self-absorbed protagonists draw viewers into their perverse world.

Clooney, Pitt and McDormand look like they’re having the time of their lives: Pitt is adorable as a dim-witted personal trainer—and he lights up every scene he’s in, so you feel sorry when his character rides away into the sunset halfway through the movie.

Swinton and Malkovich can play cold-hearted vixens and angry villains, respectively, with their eyes closed, so it’s no surprise that they’re unapologetically ruthless here. Unfortunately, Clooney is as hammy and messy as his character’s casual sexual encounters—and all that head-bobbing distracts from his performance even more.

There’s a lot of frothy fun to be had in “Burn After Reading,” but it would be foolhardy to take it seriously. Take your cue from the CIA boss (JK Simmons), who instructs the intelligence agent assigned to the case: “Report back to me when it all makes sense!”