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The Burning Plain
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Metascore
45 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 18 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.0 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 18 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Summary: The Burning Plain, a romantic mystery about a woman on the edge who takes an emotional journey back to the defining moment of her life. Sylvia is a beautiful restaurant manager whose cool, professional demeanor masks the sexually charged storm within. When a stranger from Mexico confronts her with her mysterious past, Sylvia is launched into a journey through space and time that inextricably connects her to these disparate characters, all of whom are grappling with their own romantic destinies. In Mexico, a young motherless girl, Maria, lives happily with her father and his best friend until a tragic accident changes it all. In the New Mexico border town of Las Cruces, two teenagers, Mariana and Santiago, find love in the aftermath of their parents’ sudden deaths. In an abandoned trailer, a housewife, Gina, embarks on a passionate affair that will put Sylvia and the others on a collision course with the explosive power of forbidden love. (Magnolia Pictures)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 18
  3. Negative: 6 out of 18
  1. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Gary Goldstein
    100
    Powerful, profound and beautifully rendered.
  2. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Marc Mohan
    58
    Portland's dreary climate is used to good effect, but it's not enough to make up for the director's needlessly convoluted approach.
  3. New York Post
    Reviewed by: V.A. Musetto
    38
    Here the characters aren't compelling enough to ask viewers to give their brains a workout to determine exactly what's going on.

See all 18 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. DavidA
    9
    A good story, well told, beautifully filmed. The jumps in time are not confusing at all, there are so few main characters.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. KateK
    9
    I loved it! Intense, emotional, whatever the faults, I don't care because it has heart and pathos and that's what I most love in the movies.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. MasaT
    9
    This is GOOD movie. It is powerful story but not chronological. You should watch this twice (or more). Storyline is moving in perfect harmony. Charlize Theron is award worthy acting.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 4 User Reviews

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