Read the verdict on Burn After Reading

The 65th Venice Film Festival gets under way today, with the premiere of a film starring heartthrobs George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

This year sees the Italian event dominated by European films, following the US writers' strike.

But Hollywood glamour will be added to proceedings, with the opening film Burn After Reading, the latest offering from Joel and Ethan Coen.

Showing out of competition, the film stars John Malkovich and Tilda Swinton as well as Clooney and father-of-two newborn twins Pitt.

The film sees a CIA analyst named Osborne Cox (Malkovich) attend a top secret meeting, only to find the secret is he is being ousted.

His wife Katie (Swinton) is having an affair with a married federal marshal named Harry Pfarrer (Clooney) and she sets about making plans to leave her husband for him.

Pitt plays Chad Feldheimer, who accidentally obtains material for Cox's memoirs on a computer disc and is intent on trying to exploit the find.

The 21 movies competing this year for the coveted Golden Lion include five films completely in the English language, all US productions.

They include The Hurt Locker, inspired by a journalist's experiences in Iraq, with Ralph Fiennes and Guy Pearce in the cast.

The film is described as an intense portrayal of elite soldiers who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, disarming bombs in the heat of combat.

From Californian film maker Kathryn Bigelow, the movie is based on first-hand observation by a journalist and screenwriter named Mark Boal who was stationed on an assignment with a special bomb unit.

Explore Film

• Film Reviews

• Trailers

• DVD

• Oscars

• Cannes

Editor's choice

• U2 at Nou Camp Stadium, Barcelona
• The 50 Best Movie Villains
• The 15 golden rules of theatre etiquette