Grade: A-

The Coen Brothers have come up with another dark comedy.  Burn After Reading has an eclectic cast of characters who somehow all have ties to one another.  The interwoven relationships make for a kind of farce that drives the action.  Brad Pitt plays a personal trainer at a gym, and this is the funniest I’ve ever seen him.  He rides a bike, chomps on gum, nurses a bloody nose, and laughs like a dork.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get a supporting actor nomination, he’s so different than he usually is in films.  Frances MacDormand is his friend and co-worker.  They find a CD in the locker room and assume it is filled with CIA secrets.  They contact John Malkovich, the now fired CIA agent, whose wife, played by Tilda Swinton, is having an affair with George Clooney.  And the antics ensue.  The movie keeps you guessing, and laughing, and cringing.  If you can stomach this kind of humor, you’ll really enjoy it.