Junior’s Rating **** out of *****

George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Brad Pitt

Although the latest effort from the Coen brothers left me desperately wanting more, Burn After Reading lived up to the considerable promises made by the film’s advance hype and made me glad I invested an hour and a half and a ten dollar bill.  The lineup of characters is bizarre, even by Coen brothers’ standards, but I have to admit that an international espionage scheme involving an unemployed CIA agent, a philandering treasury worker, and a personnel manager obsessed with cosmetic surgery makes interesting subject matter. Picking favorites from a masterfully-selected cast that includes John Malkovich, George Clooney, and Frances McDormand is a frustrating endeavor, but I feel compelled to point out the work of Brad Pitt, whose portrayal of a dim fitness instructor and an even dimmer blackmailer is the film’s standout performance. Don’t miss him in Burn After Reading.