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Freida is the costliest Indian actress

Frieda Pinto, newly sensation actress, has become the top earning Bollywood actress charging a whopping 15 crore fee.

The ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ actress Freida has now become the highest paid actress in India. She has played the charming Latika character in the Oscar winning film. She has now also become the highest paid actress in India.

The dusky beauty has created quite a sensation down Hollywood and is featuring on the covers of all top magazines. She is also the new face of international cosmetic giant ‘Estee Lauder’. The actress was fairly unknown to everyone till ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ own last month's Oscars.

The western media has called her as ‘a true global face’ and no other Indian actress has achieved this position in Hollywood.

Who Is Lycan?

Do you know what is Lycan? Lycan is is Werewolves, also known as lycanthropes are mythological or folkloric humans with the ability to shape shift into wolves or anthropomorphic wolf-like creatures, either purposely, by being bitten by another werewolf, or after being placed under a curse. This transformation is often associated with the appearance of the full moon. There are many individuals today who believe they are werewolves, and some of the lycanthropes (people affected by lycanthropy) have been studied and treated by psychologists and psychiatrists.

Some people during middle ages believed that the werewolf was the projection of a demon, which made its victims appear as a wolf in his own eyes and to those around him. For others, the werewolf was a direct manifestation of the Devil. Some said that the Devil could confuse the sleeper's imagination to such an extent that he believes he had really been a wolf and had run about and killed men and beasts. Robert Burton, the clergyman and scholar, considered lycanthrope to be a form of madness as mentioned in his book Anatomy of Melancholy in 1621; he blamed every thing from sorcerers and witches to poor diet, bad air, sleeplessness and even lack of exercise for this.

The diet of medieval peasants may have been a source of werewolf delusions. Ergot infection on food grains like wheat and rye was common in Europe during the middle ages. This is actually a fungus, which grows in place of grains in wet seasons after very cold winters. Alkaline parts of this fungus are chemically related to LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide), a strong hallucinogenic psychoactive drug, which produces dreamlike, changes in mood and thought and alters the perception of time and space. It can create lack of self-control, extreme terror and blurring the feeling between the individual and the environment. The victims may have horrible visions of being attacked by tigers and snakes and of turning into beasts.

So, what actually is werewolf or lycanthropy? Though many ingenious hypotheses have been suggested as possible explanations, definite conclusion can't be drawn. Some experts have tried to observe it as purely supernatural phenomena while others have relied on scientific observations. Contradictions and debates still persist and will continue till any single theory solves the jigsaw, which seems unlikely considering complexity and diversity of the topic.

Rocknrolla - Movie

Rocknrolla neither rocked nor rolled. But that is solely because I somewhat worship Guy Ritchie for making movies like Snatch and Lock Stock, and I inadvertently ended up comparing RocknRolla with the masterpieces just mentioned. On its own, however, RocknRolla is a pretty good movie. It is witty, at times gritty, and despite being deliberately surrealistic it ends up making more sense that Slumdog Millionaire.

“RocknRolla” hits the screen running and rarely slows down. The gangsters of modern-day London are shooting holes in each other and breaking each other's legs over real estate and a prized painting that figures prominently in the plot.

Old-school mobster Lenny Cole (Tom Wilkinson) runs things, aided by his loyal lieutenant, Archy (Mark Strong).

Times are changing in old London town, though. The Russian mob, led by billionaire Uri Obomavich (Karel Roden) wants a cut of the action.

On a lower level of hoodlum hierarchy, small-time crook One Two (Gerard Butler) and his pal Mumbles (Idris Elba) want in on the action as well. They provide the muscle when a sexy accountant played by Thandie Newton wants a cut from both sides of the gangland warpath.

Although Ritchie offers his fans nothing new in the movie, he delivers an amusing story. Personally, I was not swept away by RocknRolla, but the movie marks a welcome return for Guy Ritchie who has finally come to terms that it is pretty retarded to make movies about prehistoric pop divas (read: Madonna). Here is to hoping that the sequel to RocknRolla rocks harder.

Movie Review - Slumdog Millionaire

Despite cashing its check as a movie that depicts the struggles of a young boy in the Mumbai slums, Slumdog Millionaire is quite shamelessly a post-modernistic fairy tale. It is a good movie by any standard, mind you. In fact, it is probably one of the best movies of the year. Yet it's neither the sugarcoated second half of the movie, nor the exaggerated ending that steals your applause. The movie owes its immense success to the quintessential directions of Danny Boyle and a rather prodigal performance by the child artists.

The movie begins under unlikely circumstances, and then spirals into fantastical and grotesque world. The police are viciously interrogating Jamal (Dev Patel) an eighteen year old who is on the verge of winning the jackpot on India's version of the TV quiz 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' and nobody believes a barely educated kid from the slums of Mumbai could ever have got this far without cheating. So he takes his skeptical inquisitor (Irrfan Khan) through each of the questions he has answered correctly, and in doing so, the film recounts the story of Jamal's life from rags to rupees millions of them, possibly.

Artfully constructed by screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, the movie operates in a triangle: the televised duel between Jamal and the patronizing quizmaster (Anil Kapoor), the police interview room, and the tragicomic episodes of a slum dog's life.Slumdog Millionaire does not lack humor.

It is fast-paced, well edited into shape and with just enough hard-nosed reality to make at least some sense of the fantasy. But then fantasy is what this is, and, despite the fierce and truthful-looking role of of Irrfan Khan as the police inspector charged with extracting the truth from Jamal, the film is ultimately lacking in a resonance that would make us think rather than simply laugh and possibly cry.

It seems entirely appropriate that it should end with a silly Bollywood dance that sends all seriousness right out of the window.

"Star Trek's Creator's Ashes" Will Be Found In the Space

"Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry and late wife Majel Barrett Roddenberry ashes will be shot into space in about a year and a half, in accordance with their wishes, memorial spaceflight company Celestis Inc said on Monday.

Majel Barrett Roddenberry, an actress who had roles in nearly every "Star Trek" television show and movie since the original, died on December 18 at age 76. She had been married to Gene Roddenberry for 22 years when he died in 1991, and she was often called "The First Lady of Star Trek."

Celestis sent a portion of Gene Roddenberry's cremated remains into space on a rocket flight in 1997, along with the remains of other individuals, including psychedelic drug advocate Timothy Leary. That flight was sent into orbit around the Earth and eventually disintegrated upon reentering the atmosphere.

But Celestis will launch both Roddenberrys' remains into deep space and the spacecraft will not fall back into Earth's orbit, said Susan Schonfeld, a spokeswoman for the company. The spacecraft will be loaded onto a commercial rocket and sent on a deep space trajectory once it breaches Earth's atmosphere, she said.

Majel Barrett Roddenberry said before her death that she wanted her remains launched into space with those of her late husband, Schonfeld said. The launch will not happen for a year and a half because Celestis needs time to prepare.

In the meantime, fans can send a tribute message for the Roddenberrys at Celestis.com, and those messages will be put into a digital file and sent into space along with the Roddenberrys' remains.

Star Wars Model Fetching Money

Star Wars is an epic space opera franchise initially conceived by George Lucas.

A spacecraft from the first Star Wars film is set to fetch £100,000 - even though it's just 18ins by 14ins.

The T.I.E fighter is the prize item at an auction of Hollywood movie props, reports The Sun.

It is the filming miniature of the craft which knocked Darth Vader's fighter out of the trench allowing Luke Skywalker to destroy the Death Star.

Rubber shoes worn by actor Anthony Daniels as robot C-3PO are among other Star Wars items for sale.

Film fans have the chance to snap up more than 1,000 original pieces of Hollywood history at the end of this month.

Jack Nicholson's axe from The Shining is expected to sell for £4,000, the tablets held by Charlton Heston in 1956 classic The Ten Commandments for up to £25,000 and a monster used in Alien 3 for around £20,000.

A pair of silver space suits worn by Dr Evil and Mini-Me in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me should go for around £15,000.

The mask worn by Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man is set to fetch a similar price.
The sale on 31 July and 1 August features a huge collection of super-hero costumes including a Superman outfit worn on screen by Christopher Reeve.

Joseph Maddelena, of Hollywood auction house Profiles In History, said the sale was "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire some of the most important visual effects pieces ever created for modern cinema".

Rare 'Marilyn Monroe' Picture

Marilyn Monroe personified Hollywood glamour with an unparalleled glow and energy that enamored the world. Although she was an alluring beauty with voluptuous curves and a generous pout, Marilyn was more than a '50s sex goddess.

Her apparent vulnerability and innocence, in combination with an innate sensuality, has endeared her to the global consciousness. She dominated the age of movie stars to become, without question, the most famous woman of the 20th Century.

A movie fan called a press conference to unveil a previously unseen nude photo of Marilyn Monroe - only to be told it was Madonna.

Embarrassed Lawrence Nicastro, 73, had called newsmen to see his poster-size picture of Marilyn posing as a hitch-hiker.

He thought it was taken in 1960 as Marilyn made The Misfits, reports The Sun.
And his 'exclusive' was confirmed by Monroe expert Chris Harris who was sure the grainy snap of a naked girl smoking was authentic.

But, as Mr Nicastro revealed it in Las Vegas, one reporter realised it was an image of Madonna from her controversial 1992 book Sex.

Mr Nicastro looked again at the photo and had to admit: "You're right."

He had found the photo at his Las Vegas home and thought a customer had left it at the garage he used to keep.

He added: "If ever there was an embarrassing moment."

Celebrities Say The Darndest Quotes

"There are only two reasons to sit in the back row of an airplane: Either you have diarrhea, or you're anxious to meet people who do." Henry Kissinger (former US Secretary of State)

"Women might be able to fake orgasms. But men can fake whole relationships." Sharon Stone

"My girlfriend always laughs during sex-no matter what she's reading." Steve Jobs (Founder: Apple Computers)

"My cousin just died. He was only 19. He got stung by a bee-the natural enemy of a tightrope walker." Dan Rather (News anchorman)

"I saw a woman wearing a sweatshirt with 'Guess' on it. I said, 'Thyroid problem?" Arnold Schwarzenegger

"Hockey is a sport for white men. Basketball is a sport for black men. Golf is a sport for white men dressed like black pimps." Tiger Woods

"I read somewhere that 77 per cent of all the mentally ill live in poverty. Actually, I'm more intrigued by the 23 per cent who are apparently doing quite well for themselves." Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead)

"I discovered I scream the same way whether I'm about to be devoured by a Great White or if a piece of seaweed touches my foot." Axel Rose (Guns'n'Roses)

"Capital punishment turns the state into a murderer. But imprisonment turns the state into a CENSORED dungeon-master." Rev. Jesse Jackson

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-CENSORED." Jack Nicholson

"Clinton lied. A man might forget where he parks or where he lives, but he never forgets oral sex, no matter how bad it is." Barbara Bush (Former US First Lady)

"Ah, yes, divorce, from the Latin word meaning to rip out a man's genitals through his wallet." Robin Williams

"Women complain about premenstrual syndrome, but I think of it as the only time of the month that I can be myself." Roseanne

"There's a new medical crisis. Doctors are reporting that many men are having allergic reactions to latex condoms. They say they cause severe swelling. So what's the problem?" Dustin Hoffman

"Instead of getting married again, I'm going to find a woman I don't like and just give her a house." Rod Stewart

What Happen on This Historical Day

1697 - Isaac Newton receives Jean Bernoulli's 6 month time limit - solves problem before going to bed that same night

1788 - 1st settlement established by English in Australia (Sydney)

1837 - Mich admitted as 26th US state

1841 - Hong Kong was proclaimed a sovereign territory of Britain

1861 - La becomes 6th state to secede from US

1871 - American income tax repealed

1885 - Gen Gordon & troops slain by Sudanese in Khartoum

1905 - World's largest diamond found Cullinan diamond

1946 - Indian Republic Day

1950 - India becomes a republic ceaseing to be a British dominion

1954 - Ground breaking begins on Disneyland

1961 - 1st woman `personal physician to President' - JG Travell

1976 - Israel opens "Good Fence" to Lebanon

1979 - Nelson Rockefeller former VP & 4 time governor of NY died

1980 - Islanders & Whalers had a penality free game

1982 - Islanders score 4 goals within 1:38 5 within 2:37 vs Penguins

1984 - Nordiques' Michel Goulet scored on 9th penalty shot against Islanders

1986 - Chicago Bears defeat Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl 20

What Happens in Vegas

I had no expectations from this movie. In fact, I did not expect to watch this movie in the first place. Here is the reason why - it is a movie starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher and its called What Happens in Vegas! By the time you have swallowed the above information, you already know that it is one of those movies where a mismatched pair goes to Las Vegas, gets drunk, gets married, wakes up next morning in total shock, plans to get a divorce, but then ends up falling in love with each other thereby proving that you make some of the best decisions in life while drunk. It is pointless. It is silly. And quite frankly Ashton Kutcher looks girlier than Cameron Diaz. Hence, I was pretty surprised when I actually ended up watching the movie, and rather shocked when I realized that I did not quite hate it.

In What Happens in Vegas Cameron Diaz plays the role of Joy, an uptight and over-scheduled career woman; Ashton Kutcher on the other hand plays the role of some-guy-whose-name-I-did-not-bother-remembering-because-it-is-such-a-stupid-movie-anyway. The teensiest twist in the movie occurs when Kutcher wins a $3 million jackpot in the casino using Diaz's coin, thus prompting her to claim half he prize.

When they meet up in court back in New York to fight over the money, Dennis Miller as goofy Judge Whopper sentences them to six months of 'hard marriage' instead, after delivering a hilarious courthouse sermon making it extremely clear how much he hates them and their entire decadent generation. Thus the two move in together and attempts to drive each other out of marriage knowing that if one bails out the other gets all the money. The rest, as the say, is predictable.

What Happens in Vegas, by all means, is not a bad movie. Just make sure that you are in the cheeriest of moods while watching it. The movie might be stupid, but in comparison to Hancock it is Oscar worthy.

Crystal Gayle- The blue eyed Country sensation

BEFORE country was 'cool,' Crystal was 'class'. Although the name Crystal came to her in quite an unusual fashion, Brenda Gayle Webb was suggested by her older sister, Loretta Lynn, to adopt the name 'Crystal' when she began recording.

Crystal encapsulates everything the dazzling qualities of her name imply. Born in Paintsville, Kentucky, USA, on January 9, 1951, the youngest daughter of Melvin "Ted" and Clara Marie, Crystal was Inspired by Lynn's success, and learned guitar, performed folk songs in high school and sang backing vocals in her brother's band.

In the beginning country, folk, pop, rock n roll, Broadway show tunes, gospel…all found equal place in her heart, growing up as the youngest of eight children. Like sister Loretta Crystal too was a “coal miners daughter” before she was a platinum selling singer and a world class entertainer.

“Brown Eyes” opened the world's eyes to Crystal Gayle. She became a household name in homes, grand and small, from Louisville to Leningrad.

The glamour and the mystique of the Crystal Gayle phenomena made her an instantly “ in demand” artist. From symphony halls to Carnegie Hall…from the best-kept stages in Las Vegas to the prestige of the London Palladium... one word“Crystal”crossed musical genres and oceans.

Crystal globe hopped, and was seen in all the best camera lenses. Her CBS prime time special was followed by an equally groundbreaking HBO concert special viewed by millions. She appeared in Bob Hope's historic NBC-TV Special, “On The Road To China.” She was seen hosting the “American Music Awards,” the “Academy Of Country Music Awards,” and her third network special, “A Crystal Christmas From Sweden.” She swept through toursand repeat toursof the U.S., Japan, England, Canada, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Finland, Holland, Australia and the Far East.

In the wake…her hit list of platinum and gold record sales was to be matched only by her awards and accolades. CMA's “Female Vocalist Of The Year,” for two consecutive years, she became a Grammy Award Winner for “Best Female Vocal Performance,” thanks to her beloved “Brown Eyes” a song that she today admits she has never grown tired of singing. Crystal swept the Academy Of Country Music Awards for three of their “Top Female Vocalist” statuettes. As her music and her career path widened to mainstream audiencesso did her accolades. She is the recipient of three “American Music Awards” voted by the nation as America's “Favorite Female Artist.”

Her inspirational album, “Someday,” was nominated for a Grammy. With the advent of the new millennium, Crystal recorded “In My Arms,” an enduring collection of children's lullabies, the project was an outgrowth of her love for the littlest of listeners, and of her visit to “Sesame Street” to sing with Big Bird to a new generation of music lovers.

Always gracious and generous with her time and talents, Crystal has been awarded the coveted “Celebration of Light Award” in recognition of her myriad humanitarian effortsamong them the Make-A-Wish Foundation (for whom she has recorded the official theme song) and the Arthritis Foundation, for whom she has served as telethon co-host for several years. Fittingly, the “Celebration of Light Award” was a presentation in Waterford Crystal.

One of the most fitting honors in her career came in 1999 when “Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” was recognized by ASCAP as one being one of the ten most performed songs of the 20th century. Gayle released two more studio albums during the 1990s: Ain't Gonna Worry (1990) produced by Allen Reynolds and Three Good Reasons (1992). Both albums failed to chart and their singles all failed to reestablish Gayle at country radio. Gayle subsequently recorded several specialty projects. She released two gospel albums - Someday (1995) and He Is Beautiful (1997). In 1999, she released the tribute album, Crystal Gayle Sings The Heart And Soul Of Hoagy Carmichael.

Gayle released a children's album, In My Arms, in 2000. Her most recent studio album was the 2003 standards collection, All My Tomorrows. Gayle has since released two live albums, Crystal Gayle In Concert (2005) and Live! An Evening With Crystal Gayle (2007).

At home in Nashville when not touring, Crystal continues to make the world a little more beautiful just by her presence. Her upscale boutique, “Crystal's” is one of the cities premiere destinations for the most beautiful gifts and finest jewelry. Her two children daughter Catherine and son Chrisand her husband-- Bill Gatzimos are her admitted heartbeat. Gayle is known to be the female artist with the longest hair in the world.

Her website says she grew her hair to such incredible lengths because she had to have it boyishly short as a child. She has had at least "classic length" hair all through adulthood, but now keeps her hair to three inches off the floor.

Policeman Ordered to Drink His Own Urine

Airport security staff ordered a retired policeman to drink his own urine sample to prove it was safe.

Yu Fahai, 58, was going through security at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, when he was challenged over a bottle of liquid in his pocket.

Yu, who received a kidney transplant several years ago, has to regularly test his urine for infection, reports News Morning.

"The checker asked me what was inside, and I told her it was my urine. She said: "Urine? Drink some to prove it"," said Yu at his home in Chibi, Hubei province.

Yu, who was taking his first ever flight after attending a TV awards ceremony in Shanghai, has now lodged a complaint against the airport.

An airport spokesman said the security guard mistakenly heard the word 'urine' as 'beverage', and claimed Yu had his boarding card in his mouth, making his pronunciation unclear.

The spokesman added that national regulations forbid passengers from taking liquids on flights but an exception was made for Mr Yu because of his medical history. He also apologised.

Tug of War Over Whale Carcass

Two Irish villages are fighting over the carcass of a 65ft whale which became stranded and died in the bay they share.

Courtmacsherry and Kilbrittain both want to put the whale's jawbone and ribcage on display as an educational tool and as a tourist attraction.

Kilbrittain residents have already removed the jawbones and are storing them in a "secret location", insisting the whale died in their section of the harbour.

County council member for Kilbrittain Kevin Murphy told Sky News: "I would describe this as a friendly argument between the villages.

"But the people of Kilbrittain have gone to a lot of trouble and expense to salvage the mammal's bone structure so I would hope that it will stay in Kilbrittain."

John Young, the chairman of Courtmacsherry Development Association, believes the whale should be displayed in his village.

"We don't want to fight with Kilbrittain over this, we are neighbours but let's try to come to a compromise on it," he said.

Courtmacsherry have proposed preserving the jawbones and mounting them as a memorial in the town hall.

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, which has been involved in the recovery of the 50-tonne whale, estimates 10,000 people have visited the site to see it for themselves.

Parrot Caused Chaos in Football Match

The parrot, Me-Tu was accompanying owner Irene Kerrigan to a game between Hertfordshire Rangers and Hatfield Town.

Ref Gary Bailey, 45, told the Daily Mirror: "I've never known anything like it. This woman was standing right by the touchline and suddenly unveiled this big green parrot.

"Every time I blew my whistle the bird made exactly the same sound.
"The players all stopped so I had to ask her to move the parrot."

He added: "I've never sent off a parrot before."

Apart from his whistling, Me-Tu also shouted "pretty boy" at the players from his cage on the sidelines.

She said: "He loves his football and I'll take him back down there."

Hatfield Town beat her team 5-2.

World's Largest Pavement

More than 2,000 children have created the world's biggest piece of pavement art.
The youngsters drew the 7,000 yard train using 10,000 boxes of chalk in Cluj, Transylvania, Romania.

The world record, which they set last year, has been confirmed by the World Records Academy.

The drawing started as a school game but gradually grew as teachers and other pupils started to join in.

"We didn't mean to break a record. We just kept going until we ran out of pavement. Thank goodness the rain kept off," said one organiser.

Hunter Hunted!

The hunter became the hunted when a deer took revenge on the man who shot it.
Randy Goodman, 47, from Sedalia, Missouri shot the stag twice with his rifle and assumed it was dead.

But seconds later the 240lb deer came back to life and turned on Mr Goodman, knocking him to the ground and pounding him with its hooves.

Mr Goodman, a veteran hunter who described the attack just before Christmas as "15 seconds of hell", also suffered the indignity of having a clip of the incident watched by thousands on YouTube.

After the attack the deer then ran a short distance before collapsing. Mr Goodman was able to recover enough to fire two more shots, making sure the angry animal was definitely dead this time.

He then drove himself to hospital were he received seven stitches to his head.
Most people who watched the clip on YouTube did not have much sympathy for Mr Goodman.

"I was laughing, and almost crying. Anybody who has read Bambi would laugh their socks off," wrote one.

Wedding Guest - Dog

A dog which saved a woman's life when it found her dying of hypothermia has been invited as guest of honour at her wedding.
Zoe Christie, 21, was found with severe hypothermia in a field near Ottery St Mary, Devon, by John Richards and his boxer dog Boris.

Miss Christie, 21, who lives in nearby Newton Poppleford, was so severely ill doctors told her father he may have to formally identify her body.

Medics battled to revive her and she spent two weeks in intensive care. Now a care assistant, Miss Christie is marrying her fiance Chris, 25, in October.

She said: "John and his wife Sheila are first on the reception list when we come back to England from our wedding in Turkey.

"They will be our guests of honour - and I would love Boris to be there too."

Mr Richards said: "I had walked past Zoe but Boris found her and wouldn't come so I turned round and went back."

Believing he had found a dead body, he called the emergency services, only for a Devon and Cornwall police officer to find a slight pulse.

Her heart stopped as the helicopter flew to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital where she had to have her blood re-circulated.

Miss Christie's father Trevor, 40, of Yonder Street, Ottery St Mary, said: "We never thought we would see the day. She owes her life to that dog and his persistence."

Buen After Reading

Burn After Reading stirs up a bizarre concoction between dark humor and sheer cynicism. The movie is riddled with idiosyncratic characters played by the likes of George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

In Burn After Reading, no one really knows anything. And what they do know is not very important to anyone but himself or herself. Everyone lives in his or her own little bubble of obsession and confusion. Harry (George Clooney) is a gabby federal marshal with a lot of time for wooden floor finishing. He likes laying married women who he meets through Internet dating websites. One such conquest is Linda (Frances McDormand), a jittery instructor at Hard bodies Gym who convinces herself that costly cosmetic medical procedures will make her more desirable.

Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) is a CIA spook that gets kicked downstairs because of a drinking problem. He starts to write a tell-all memoir, but does not get very far, because, you know, he drinks. He hardly pays attention to the fact that his acidic pediatrician wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) - who likes to browbeat four-year-olds - is having an affair with Harry. There is also Chad (Brad Pitt), a fitness nut and Linda's best pal at Hardbodies, who does not stop bopping and cannot live without his bike or iPod.

When a CD of incomprehensible "CIA type shit" turns up on a change room floor at Hardbodies, Chad and Linda see it as a fast track to riches and certainly better buttocks. They try blackmailing Cox.

In Burn After Reading, there is no one to admire, save for one unlucky gentle soul. Everyone else is a clown or a petty tyrant. Yes, it is fun to watch formidable actors like Clooney, McDormand, Malkovich and Pitt play the fool, but if you are looking for a human connection, you have come to the wrong movie.

Yet even a minor Coen Brothers film has its inevitable pleasures. Few filmmakers combine such confident visual élan with witty, idiosyncratic screenwriting chops.

The story, a Coen original, has some of the wittiness of a Fargo or Miller's Crossing, but this time the criminals do not even realize they are initiating a crime until it is too late.