Burn After Reading

Name: Burn After Reading
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Crime
Released: September 12, 2008
Duration: 96 min
Rating: 63
Cast: Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton

2008

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 37 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 426 Ratings

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6.6

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6.6	Your Score
6.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 426 Ratings

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Burn After Reading

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Movie Details & Credits

Focus Features | Release Date: September 12, 2008 | R

Starring: Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton

Summary: An ousted CIA official's memoir accidentally falls into the hands of two unwise gym employees intent on exploiting their find. (Focus Features)

Director: Ethan Coen and Joel Coen

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 96 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

J.R. Jones

After the portentous "No Country for Old Men," Joel and Ethan Coen return to their trademark brand of cruel, misanthropic farce, and for dark laughs and hurtling narrative momentum this spy caper is their best work since "Fargo." Read full review

David Ansen

That's the paradox that makes this parade of folly so much fun: it feels as if everyone involved is having a high old time, and their enthusiasm is contagious. Read full review

Peter Travers

It would be no country for movie lovers without the Coens. They still manage to run unmuzzled while the rest of Hollywood runs scared. Read full review

Kirk Honeycutt

Joel and Ethan Coen clearly are in a prankish mood, knocking out a minor piece of silliness with all the trappings of an A-list studio movie. Read full review

Kyle Smith

The film has enough funny lines and weird situations - some comedy business with a sex chair lovingly constructed by the Clooney character is the highlight - that it could age into a cult film like "The Big Lebowski." Read full review

David Edelstein

Burn After Reading is untranscendent, a little tired, the first Coen brothers picture on autopilot. In the words of the CIA superior, it’s "no biggie." Read full review

Richard Corliss

Either the Coens failed, or I didn't figure out what they're attempting. I must be like Harry or Osborne, pretending to a sophistication I lack. Burn After Reading is a movie about stupidity that left me feeling stupid. Read full review

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User Reviews

StevenF

Feb 4, 2013

It's deadpan comedy at its best, and who better to deliver it than Joel and Ethan Cohen, along with Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances McDormand and the fantastic John Malkovich.
When a disc containing some of the CIAs most revealing secrets goes missing, it ends up in the gym of the mostIt's deadpan comedy at its best, and who better to deliver it than Joel and Ethan Cohen, along with Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances McDormand and the fantastic John Malkovich.
When a disc containing some of the CIAs most revealing secrets goes missing, it ends up in the gym of the most bumbling, simple minded individuals, who attempt blackmail but get in too far over their heads.
Its an approach at showing just how overreacting individuals can be, but also just how bland or too seriously many Hollywood movies take themselves surrounding this incident, basically a parody.
Its a very well written dark comedy with brilliant performances, particularly Brad Pitt as an extremely camp gym worker, and retied CIA analyst John Malkovich.
It has this large ensemble cast that go to extreme length to mock and amaze through sheer stupidity, all for our amusement, and they certainly do not fail.… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

Batmanrocks!h.

Aug 27, 2008

A Great Movie! I didin't expect anything because the Coen's last movie had a terrible ending and it was slow and overall pointless and very very very very overrated getting 4 Oscars including Best Picture. Like whats wrong with the academy. They don't give fargo Best Picture A Great Movie! I didin't expect anything because the Coen's last movie had a terrible ending and it was slow and overall pointless and very very very very overrated getting 4 Oscars including Best Picture. Like whats wrong with the academy. They don't give fargo Best Picture but they give No Country for Old men best Picture? That's a sin!!! But this movie by itself was truly shocking. I LOVED IT! It's cherishing, personally. It's a great black comedy that exceeds to the standard of Fargo. It's actually better than Fargo. Anyway, go see it. It's better than the dark knight. Like, thats phenomenal!!!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

PeterK.

Sep 28, 2008

Darkly funny. One of the best things that the Cohens have done since Raising Arizona.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Palino007

May 2, 2011

Initially, you're trying to guess "What's going on here", but as the film progresses, you will start to get the point, and from that moment, you'll be smiling till the end.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

avatar16

Feb 7, 2012

Il Ã©tait presque difficile de croire que les frÃ¨res Coen nous livre une comÃ©die aprÃ¨s le sublime No Country For Old Men. Encore plus Ã©tonnant, que ce nouveau film n'ait pas le caractÃ¨re mordant propre auxIl Ã©tait presque difficile de croire que les frÃ¨res Coen nous livre une comÃ©die aprÃ¨s le sublime No Country For Old Men. Encore plus Ã©tonnant, que ce nouveau film n'ait pas le caractÃ¨re mordant propre aux rÃ©alisateurs. Enfin, si... si l'on dÃ©cortique Ã fond cette comÃ©die. Mais il faut bien l'avouer : ce qui ne sont pas habituÃ©s Ã ce genre d'univers ne peuvent pas entiÃ¨rement accrocher Ã ce genre d'humour, prenant l'ensemble pour un simple film quelque peu monotone. Mais il faut bien reconnaÃ®tre que la plupart des quiproquos se montrent jouissifs et que les comÃ©diens se laissent aller (Brad Pitt, exceptionnel!). Bref, une sympathique farce noir qui manque tout de mÃªme de mordant.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

WalterE.

Sep 11, 2008

Burns After Peeing

0 of 0 users found this helpful

LaurenE.

Sep 12, 2008

Stupid movie, about stupid people.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

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19	#19 Most Discussed Movie of 2008
53	#53 Most Shared Movie of 2008