INTELLIGENCE IS RELATIVE
“If they gave out Oscars for bouncy airheads in gym shorts, Brad Pitt would be a shoo-in.”
– Jim Schembri, The Age Oscar winners, Joel and Ethan Coen have returned to the screen with their most commercially entertaining film yet! Burn After Reading is an original and witty black comedy that has its tongue firmly placed in its cheek. It’s a clever take on American consumerist society and the public’s fascination with government organizations along with the ironic indifference shown, in return makes for highly compelling watching.
Boasting an impressive cast including George Clooney, Francis McDormand, John Mallkovich, Tilda Swinton and Brad Pitt, Burn After Reading is available to own on DVD February 18th. Based in Washington DC, Burn After Reading tells the story of Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich), a veteran CIA operative who gets dismissed from his post due to a drinking problem. Bent on revenge he begins to write a tell-all book. Meanwhile, Osbourne’s wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) is planning on leaving him for her lover, Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), a serial sex-maniac.
After leaving Osbourne, Katie steals a disc containing his memoirs, accidentally leaving the disc at her local gym Hard Bodies where it is picked up by hapless gym employees, Chad (Brad Pitt) – a dim-witted moron, and Linda Litzke (Francis McDormand) – a woman obsessed with aging, who are both intent on exploiting the ‘secret shit’ on the disc.
What follows is a well-scripted, intertwined story of outlandish blackmail, jealousy and murder involving not only the CIA but also the Russians as Linda and Chad embark on a hilarious, idiotic journey for money and plastic surgery!
True to the Coen Brothers form, Burn After Reading promises a barrage of memorable characters who do a spectacular amount of absurd things that they almost always pay the ultimate price for. From Chad who believes he can blackmail the CIA in between workouts to Linda Litzke who thinks plastic surgery will save her love life, Burn After Reading will have you shocked after this journey into the character’s lives and their idiosyncrasies.
For more information & images please visit www.universalpictures.com.au