"Burn After Reading" (**)

Oh those zany Coen Brother are at it again in this whacky film about what happens when two entirely different worlds are juxtaposed. Almost as if it were two different movies forced to unite as one. In one world you have the serious no nonsense world and the delicate confidential memoirs of CIA agent Osborne Cox that has recently been fired for Alcoholism, played masterfully by the unconventionally great, John Malkovich, colliding with the other which is a goof ball world of two imbeciles that work together at a Health Club portrayed in an almost slap stick, yet convincing (if that even makes sense) manner by Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand.

In this twisted yet conveniently intertwined story we witness the absurdity that is the Coen Brothers genius of even attempting to combine these worlds. It basically revolves around the dimwitted spunky Fitness Trainer Chad Feldheimer (Pitt) and his equally dimwitted but far more insecure colleague Linda Litzke (McDormand) and their quest for money and anything to improve their lives. Linda seeking love and a sense of self worth, clearly illustrated by her mission to have tons of cosmetic surgery and her online dating and sexcapades in an attempt to remedy her depression. Chad, being his jovial self just seems to be seeking the adrenalin rush of masterminding and pulling off his extortion plot of what he thinks is highly confidential and valuable information on computer discs left at the gym, that turn out to be those of Osborne Cox (Malkovich). Hence, the meshing of the serious and the screwball worlds.

Chad and Linda see the files as being worth a small fortune thus solving all their problems when in reality they are nothing more than Cox's memoirs that he has chosen to write to spite the CIA for what he feels was his wrongful termination, despite his wife Katie's (Tilda Swinton) objections. Cox ignores his wife and her crude and condescending ways and writes them anyway as clearly their marriage is in shambles based on the fact that she is having an affair with the charismatic and overly ecstatic, Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), who is happily married himself. Frankly, everything Harry does is happily and that includes his invention that I won't spoil here but it's definitely funny and happy that he keep covered and stored away in dark basement as if he were a Mad Scientist. He also seems to have no problems doing a little internet dating of his own to satisfy his raging sex drive and wouldn't you know it, Linda and Harry connect online which quickly leads to a rendezvous bringing the twisted and intertwining story full circle.

Of course, there are other things going on here and different characters that play fabulous parts, namely J.K. Simmons as the CIA Chief, and all kinds of physical comedy to go with the clever and humorous script itself. Not my favorite Coen Brother's film by any means and I can't even say that I really was even a big fan of this one but I can say with no uncertainty that regardless of whether or not this effort worked it was definitely a creative effort and well worth seeing if for no other reason than to see this unlikely ensemble converge talents and the absurdity of merging these worlds.