That's not to say Joel and Ethan Coen did not get their money's worth from their stars.

Playing the most interesting character in the film is John Malkovich, who plays recently fired CIA agent Osborne Cox.

Burn After Reading skips between a series of events essentially sparked by Cox's firing.

His wife then decides it's time to leave him for George Clooney's character and Cox writes a memoir as an act of revenge on the bosses who fired him –– which eventually falls into the hands of Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) and her colleague Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt).

Litzke and Feldheimer's plan to extract a reward from Cox rapidly spirals out of their control as Linda's overwhelming desire to get the money for extensive cosmetic surgery blinds her to reason, egged on by Pitt's airheaded character.

Despite the strong performances, particularly from Malkovich as the alcoholic, self-regarding CIA agent, and George Clooney as the womanising, internet-cruising Harry Pfarrer, there's not one character who you really understand as the film closes.

The storyline is interesting because it is so bizarre, but it is not particularly well told.

There are some funny and shocking moments but they are like someone suddenly shouting in your face during a boring conversation.

Yes, you are more likely to remember those bits, but it does not stop the conversation being boring.

And anyone who has seen No Country For Old Men, a previous Coen brothers effort, will know that the pair have no intention of leaving you feeling satisfied with the film's ending.

To them, they are letting us know that the film is merely a window into the characters' lives and that they have got the power to close that window at any time.

But to the audience it just feels lazy and a little bit arrogant.

2/5