Brad Pitt Premieres “Burn After Reading”

August 27, 2008

Burn After ReadingWendy Ide at the Venice Film Festival
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Joel and Ethan Coen call upon a heavyweight cast of regular collaborators (George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins) and newcomers to the Coen repertory group (Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton) for their follow-up to the Oscar-winning No Country For Old Men. And then the brothers gleefully despatch half of their stars in a hail of bullets and blunt weapons.

This is the Coens’ first self-penned original screenplay since The Man Who Wasn’t There in 2001, and it has in common with some of their earlier pictures, specifically Raising Arizona and Fargo, a savagely comic taste for creative violence and a slightly mocking eye for detail. It also shares with these films one of the Coen Brothers preferred themes: that of inept criminals, or more specifically the ordinary Joe who thinks he or she can pull off one ingenious heist that will turn their luck around.

It’s hard to think of anyone less suited to a life of crime than Pitt’s character Chad. Most toddlers have better extortion skills. Chad is a bouncing puppy of a man; a fitness trainer at Hard Bodies gym and the best buddy of fellow Hard Bodies employee Linda (McDormand). Linda has an aching loneliness inside which she attempts to fill with unrewarding hook ups on internet dating sites and the dream of a new life bought through extensive cosmetic surgery. But all the butt-sculpting and face-stretching that she requires comes at a price, so when the gym cleaner finds a disk that appears to contain what Chad describes as “top secret sensitive ****”, Linda scents the chance of a windfall and Chad skips happily along beside her.

The disk in fact contains the whiskey-sodden ramblings that former CIA agent Osbourne Cox (Malkovich, who ties with Pitt for the film’s funniest performance) considers to be the beginnings of his memoir. Cox is struggling from the wreckage of a motorway pile-up of personal crises – he has quit his job, his wife (Swinton, delivering her lines with a scrotum-shrivelling ferocity) is tired of him and two imbeciles are trying to blackmail him. Little does Cox know but his wife is having an affair with a man he despises: married family friend and federal marshal Harry (Clooney). And in a coincidence that only the Coen brothers are audacious enough to pull off, Harry is also seeing Linda, having met her while sleazing around internet dating sites.

Carter Burwell’s brilliant score is the most paranoid piece of film music since Quincy Jones’s neurotic soundtrack for The Anderson Tapes – it’s particularly well-judged as it brings a gravity to a collection of characters who we could otherwise dismiss as numbskulls and nincompoops. The attention to detail is impeccable: the Coens can even raise a laugh with something as simple as a well-placed photograph of Vladimir Putin (the Russian Prime Minister gazes down from wall at Pitt and McDormand with the murderous expression of a tiger shark about to chew its way through a mouth full of particularly stupid herrings).

If the film does lack something, it’s warmth. The affection you felt from the Coens for the misguided fools in Fargo or Raising Arizona is lacking here for everyone except Jenkins’ hapless and hopelessly love sick gym manager. And while the film carries the audience with its entertaining, if somewhat ludicrous, blend of high level espionage and ab-toning exercises, it would perhaps be more rewarding if we could like the characters as well as laugh at them.

Rating: 4/5

Source: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film /film_reviews/article4618799.ece

Brad is just a regular dad. he’s not doing anything different than any other involved father would not do

Blessings to the Jolie-Pitt Family.

George & Brad Enjoy a Guys’ Night in Venice

George Clooney and Brad Pitt lived la dolce vita in Venice Tuesday night, partying into the wee hours.

In town to promote their film Burn After Reading, which opens the film festival Wednesday, the pair first attended a black tie fundraiser for their Not On Our Watch charity. Some 200 Italian VIPs – plus their costar Tilda Swinton – attended the dinner at the Hotel Cipriani on Giudecca Island.

“They both have such passion and such dedication,” a guest told PEOPLE of the pair.

After the event wound down, the two actors partied on with some 20 fundraiser guests, arriving at the Cipriani’s poolside bar just after midnight.

“We’ve had a lot to drink,” said a jacketless Pitt, 44, laughing and raising his champagne glass. A tan and trim-looking Clooney, 44, had his shirt unbuttoned.

After chatting with some guests – including Clooney’s pal, British TV personality Mariella Frostrup – the actors held court on a wicker sofa by the pool. By 2 a.m., a pair of women decided to strip down and take a dip as Clooney looked on from the edge.

Later, the actor shimmied while the hotel’s guitar player strummed Gloria Estefan’s “Mi Tierra.”

“In case you didn’t know, the water’s salty,” Clooney yelled as he headed upstairs at 2:15 a.m.

Pitt, who arrived in Venice Tuesday with sons Maddox, 7, and Pax, 4, stayed chatting until just before 3 a.m.

Source: http://www.people.com/people/article…221558,00.html

LOVE BRAD, He looks ultra sexy in the tux.

Brad, the hottest man and the hottest daddy. He should be the daddy of every year and he has a good heart too. This man is so hard to find, one in a billion.

# 87 Anonymous @ 08/27/2008 at 3:22 pm LMAO at In Touch’s latest cover: http://intouchweekly.com/content/cover/img_cover_large.jpg

Life&Style also has the same story but it’s in a side bar.

Pathetic.
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angelina appears to be the absolute antithesis of that clingy insecure person. i don’t think she would feel threatened at all. why would she? she is his love.

Marriage for Clooney, kids for Pitt? Jokes, bad questions fly

When some reporters come face to face with A-list celebrities, their brains turn to mush. Take this morning’s press conference at the Venice film festival. George Clooney and Brad Pitt were among the stars taking questions following the first screening of their latest movie “Burn After Reading”, directed by the Coen brothers.
Inevitably, the questions were personal as well as professional.
“I have a question, it’s very important,” said one male reporter from Brazil: “What do you think it’s (sic) better … to win an Oscar or to fall in love with a beautiful woman here in Venice?”
“Brad, don’t answer that,” Clooney said, trying to maintain a happy atmosphere despite the generally dire standard of questions.
Then came a female reporter from a Hong Kong TV channel: “I want to know how the twins are doing - are they looking more and more like you and Angie?” She was, of course, referring to Pitt’s newborn twins with Angelina Jolie.
Clooney again tried to come to the rescue: “The twins are fine.”
A British journalist enters the fray, asking Pitt: “I’m just wondering whether you have plans for any more (children) and how many is enough?” and to Clooney: “Any plans to settle down and have children yourself, if that’s not too personal a question?”
Clooney replied: “I am so surprised to hear that question. That is honestly the first time I’ve been asked that question. I am getting married and having children today. Brad?”
Pitt: “And until then I’ll be sharing mine with him. I’ll have two more by next year.”
And finally, and it was really painful to watch, came a female reporter from Spain (and excuse the English):
“This is a question for Brad. Can I get closer? I am wearing like this because I want to sign up for your gym. What do I have to do to sign up for your gym like in the film, Brad? And if I sign up, would you be running after me? Both of you.”
Pitt: “It’s a movie and I have no answer.”
Question: “If I sign up will you be running after me, George?”
Clooney: “I’m afraid, from the looks of it, we might be running from you.”

Hear, hear, George.

Source: http://blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/2008/08/27/marriage-for-clooney-kids-for-pitt-jokes-bad-questions-fly/

Brad said Angie is his GREAT love.

Love the color of Frances and Tilda’s clothes? Are these men younger than their female co-stars?? All of them look fine… Brad, GC, the Coen bros and Mme Tilda and Frances…

So glamorous! I love the one with Swinton in the middle. SHe is so cool, too—statuesque! Isn’t she related to the Queen? or comes from some really old English family? I think she went to school with Princess D.

CONGRATULATIONS to the yummiest DADDY!

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20221883,00.html

A stunned Brad Pitt was awarded the best actor trophy on Wednesday at the Venice International Film Festival, the same honor he was given last year for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

“I guess you forgot something here years ago,” said the mistress of ceremonies. Holding up the gold cup to honor Pitt’s performance in the upcoming dark comedy Burn After Reading, she said, “Brad, this is yours.”

Pitt – attending the Venice film festival opening ceremony in support of the film – looked surprised as he walked up onstage.

“Congratulations for your twins,” she told Pitt as she handed him the trophy.

“You can run but you can’t hide,” Pitt said laughing. “It was an honor to receive this last year and it’s an honor to receive it this year. Thank you very much.”

The mistress of ceremonies then held up a yellow flower. “This is for your friend George,” she told Pitt referring to George Clooney, his Burn After Reading costar.

Good Afternoon JPville

Happy Hump Day to all

Thanks for the new thread Jared.

Brad Pitt = HOT
Brad Pitt in a tux = OMG HOT

brb - need to drool over the pictures a little more. :D

waves to vickifromtexas, Felinelilly, tlol, senior, soopx, irma, Neleh, alia, yes, cook, Faye88 and all JP fans.