Burn After Reading
Focus Features | Release Date: September 12, 2008
6.7
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 452 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
285
Mixed:
100
Negative:
67
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
2
TonyB.Jan 27, 2009
The Coen brothers, far too overrated for far too long, hit rock bottom with this tripe. The only positive component here is a fine performance by Brad Pitt. George Clooney is a bore, John Malkovich is playing vintage John Malkovich, and The Coen brothers, far too overrated for far too long, hit rock bottom with this tripe. The only positive component here is a fine performance by Brad Pitt. George Clooney is a bore, John Malkovich is playing vintage John Malkovich, and Frances McDormand and Tilda Swinton have seen better days.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
JohnL.Jan 7, 2009
It's an empty and shocking mess with characters that are almost impossible to like - and I loved every minute of it. The critics who panned this movie simply didn't get the core joke: real people have lives that really are this It's an empty and shocking mess with characters that are almost impossible to like - and I loved every minute of it. The critics who panned this movie simply didn't get the core joke: real people have lives that really are this pointless and mundane. As the final scene of the movie cleverly points out - "What did we learn from all of this? Never to do it again!" Bravo, Coen brothers.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
NicholasC.Feb 27, 2009
The biggest load of rubbish I've seen in years. It may have elicited a vague empathetic twitch at the corner of my mouth occasionally, but I think the weather forecast would have been more humorous by a country mile!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
FranceL.Feb 3, 2009
Satire has never been more fun, and Pitt never better than in this zany comic thriller. Bumbling CIA bureaucrats, DC officials full of themselves, divorce attorneys, the institution of marriage, online dating services, cosmetic surgeons, Satire has never been more fun, and Pitt never better than in this zany comic thriller. Bumbling CIA bureaucrats, DC officials full of themselves, divorce attorneys, the institution of marriage, online dating services, cosmetic surgeons, HMO's, a pediatrician from hell...nothing is spared in this very clever and very entertaining movie. A good time was had by all, including this viewer.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
ShannonH.Mar 6, 2009
Awesome dark comedy.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
jaquemiorfAug 29, 2009
The funniest thing about this is the idiots who think THEY'RE the smart ones cos they understand a movie that doesn't make sense. "o look, there's a bird over there. I'll pretend it's a purple elephant and laugh at The funniest thing about this is the idiots who think THEY'RE the smart ones cos they understand a movie that doesn't make sense. "o look, there's a bird over there. I'll pretend it's a purple elephant and laugh at other people and call them stupid when they say it's a bird". john E is a d*ckhead.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
MarvinS.Nov 11, 2008
I love Coen Brothers movies. This one is a dud. I did not care about the characters nor could I invest in the plot. Weird people acting stupid and killing each other is not comedy, dark or otherwise. Very, very disappointed.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
SoumenS.Oct 11, 2008
On the level of Jeepers Creepers and Wicker Man. Don't even see this one for free. If the Coens Brothers come up with another original idea, I won't be seeing it.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
LureeNov 13, 2008
Tight editing, plot twists, sudden violence, funny, cool ending. Loved it - walked out of the theater feeling like I'd really seen a good movie.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
AngeR.Nov 18, 2008
A dark and brilliant pleasure.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
GemmaD.Nov 9, 2008
I find the mixed reviews interesting. The friend I watched this movie with didn't like it at all, I loved it. Unlike myself she didn't think it was funny and argued that there was a lack of likeable characters. Indeed, all I find the mixed reviews interesting. The friend I watched this movie with didn't like it at all, I loved it. Unlike myself she didn't think it was funny and argued that there was a lack of likeable characters. Indeed, all characters seem to suffer from a mid-life crisis and are completely egotistic in how they deal with life and especially each other, but in this case I thought this added to the movies strength, humour and point. Fargo meets Lebowski, as far as I'm concerned.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
JeromeHDec 22, 2008
Terribly odd movie, characters are even stranger than life. Loosely connected story line that failed to hold my interest.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
DQSlotkinsDec 25, 2008
I don't even know who these people calling themselves the "Coen Brothers" are. They have lost all ability to do dark comedy. This is no Fargo. This is a mess.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
TonyO.Dec 8, 2008
Stimulating and very different, and from the look of these reviews, fairly widely misunderstood. To my mind, this was a rather better movie that "No Country for Old Men". It was beautifully acted by the entire ensemble (special kudos for Stimulating and very different, and from the look of these reviews, fairly widely misunderstood. To my mind, this was a rather better movie that "No Country for Old Men". It was beautifully acted by the entire ensemble (special kudos for Brad, who was hysterically funny), immaculately scripted, and deftly directed. Lots of things that could be commented on, but the most interesting thing for me was the total lack of likeable characters. It is a brave movie that doesn't seek the empathy vote. The lack of any redeeming qualities in the female characters was especially challenging. When was the last time we had a non-sexist movie about women who don't nurture, who are insanely selfish, and who are manipulative to the nth degree? And the men are nearly as bad. Not a spy movie, not a caper movie, not a sit com. Watching basically makes you uncomfortable while you simultaneously laugh, and that is why it is worth the effort. Not every movie should be a feel good experience.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
hardenb.Aug 27, 2008
It's not Perfect like No Country for Old men. This movie is just pretty good. Definite Oscars for acting, especially for Brad Pitt. Hopefully he'll go for his second Oscar nomination. The screenplay and writing overall is very It's not Perfect like No Country for Old men. This movie is just pretty good. Definite Oscars for acting, especially for Brad Pitt. Hopefully he'll go for his second Oscar nomination. The screenplay and writing overall is very good. It's just that the movie truly has nothing to it. It has a story, it just needs a bit more to make it full. Some moments are dull. But truly I was thoroughly entertained. George Cloony was great as a playmate as he screws with Oscar winner Tilda Swinton. Overall I liked it. It's not the masterpiece it could have been, but it's truly just a fun and funny movie. It's Coen Galoure.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
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 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
6
JoshuablabbermouthAug 27, 2008
I don't know? It just didn't feel right for me. It's a wild, fun, and entertaining movie. But it needs to find the proper tone because half of the time it was too loose and awkward. It's also very weird of a movie. I don't know? It just didn't feel right for me. It's a wild, fun, and entertaining movie. But it needs to find the proper tone because half of the time it was too loose and awkward. It's also very weird of a movie. It's very realistic, but it just didn't come to me. Sorry Coen brothers. But I denounce this movie to only be okay.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
JaredC.Aug 28, 2008
This was unexpectedly brilliant. Better than Fargo, comparing its dark comedy similarities. Beyond better than No Country and Big Lebowski, I think the Coen's can win best picture once again twice in a row, for there magnificent Burn This was unexpectedly brilliant. Better than Fargo, comparing its dark comedy similarities. Beyond better than No Country and Big Lebowski, I think the Coen's can win best picture once again twice in a row, for there magnificent Burn After Reading. Hopefully if Heath Ledger doesn't win an Oscar, the Pitt better get it. He's totally kickass. This movie's the bomb man. It's goin' directly on the correct road to the Oscars.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
DiegoH.Aug 29, 2008
The Coen's have improved since Blood Simple. Starting with Fargo to The Big lebowski and O'Brother, then take a risky shot at the dark and bloodthirsty No Country, which was a great impression on them. Then, by using all their The Coen's have improved since Blood Simple. Starting with Fargo to The Big lebowski and O'Brother, then take a risky shot at the dark and bloodthirsty No Country, which was a great impression on them. Then, by using all their strengths, combining Fargo's brilliantly scripted humor and mixing it with No Country's scense of darkness relating to brutal violence. Use each and every one of their styles: Blood Simples mood, O'Brothers active comedy, and using it in their new amazing motion picture. It's the movie that represents what type of directors they are. A dark comedy mix, that's there style. With smart ways of doing things, the Coen's construct a coherently paced film, by using time to develop the titles proposition, meaning: (from my opinion) burn the dead body because you read the CIA's files on the disc that Brad Pitt coincidently found. Now I started off on Pit's side, 'cause he was funny and could follow what's going on easily. If Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight doesn't win an Oscar for Best supporting actor, then Brad Pitt will. He's had a great career, and really Terry Gilliam and mostly David Fincher made him so famous. Fincher's disturbing gritty crim story: Se7en, whom was the lead in the role did a fine job. Then went to the direct, top box office hit, Fincher's Fight Club. Now this one did so well, and with pitt in it, he busted his career up for more available roles in films. And also don't forget, Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys (in which Brad was nominated for an Oscar) really did well. Yes, he's had an exceptionally great career, and I personally think it's finally his time. Clooney, he did well, and I kind of joined his side about half way in. I just loved how he had a blast from start to finish. No the isn't perfect, and not the Coen's best movie (although it could probably win best picture), No Country is and this is most likely his third best film behind Farho which is in second. It's just, the movie thought it was so high on itself, which is why I don't give it a 10/10. Therefore it gets 9/10. It's excellent, This movie will take their career to another level, and same goes for Brad Pitt's.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
4
WalterE.Sep 11, 2008
Burns After Peeing
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
MatthewL.Sep 12, 2008
A good blend of the inanity of The Big Lebowski and the darkness of Fargo. Definitely stronger than Intolerable Cruelty or The Ladykillers, but I guess that's not saying much. I liked it a lot.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
AB.Sep 13, 2008
This is certainly not masterpiece in the same way as Fargo or No Country, but certainly an instant cult classic. Burn after Reading feels like a joke the Coen brothers plays on its audience, the comedy genre and all of Hollywood. If you are This is certainly not masterpiece in the same way as Fargo or No Country, but certainly an instant cult classic. Burn after Reading feels like a joke the Coen brothers plays on its audience, the comedy genre and all of Hollywood. If you are the kind of person who loves to laugh at people, including yourself, you will "get" this picture. Otherwise, you will chuckle at the sheer ridiculousness, but in the end feel like you've been duped somehow, although not quite sure why or how. To me, people's reactions to the movie is a hilarious continuation of the deeper layer of comedy that is the fundamental premise of this movie. Like previous Coen flicks, there is a simple take home message with an almost Aesop-like quality. The difference this time around is that the moral is not so moral, but rather nihilistic. The movie feels so unsatisfying because it outlines how unjust, random and hilarious the world can be, so one might as well develop a sense of humor. The laughter itself is what makes this movie satisfying, as well as the lasting sense of audacity. Although the spirit of this movie is one of disdain for formulaic movies and seems to say the Coen brothers are smarter than you and everyone else (they are), the casting is superb and the acting is great--although the disgusting chemistry between Clooney and McDormand takes the comedic exaggeration too far--and more importantly, it made me laugh until my sides hurt more than once. What more can you ask of entertainment? Burn After Reading is a 9 for those who love dark, dark comedy and a 6 for those who don't. And yes, Pitt is fantastic in this role.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
StevePSep 13, 2008
Waste of time. Made no sense. Couldn't wait for it to end.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
CarolM.Sep 13, 2008
I thought the movie was very good. Great plot twists.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
RobertO.Sep 13, 2008
Silly in the grand tradition (Marx Brothers) a good evenings entertainment. What a fabulous cast who did a great job and enjoyed themselves immensely.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
4
DougD.Sep 13, 2008
it did not live up to the ad. don't want to ruin anything but after someone dies it just gets sad. After the turning point in the movie it is not really comical anymore
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
JenniferG.Sep 15, 2008
I'm not sure that I understand the raves about this movie...I do agree that it has you laughing one minute and gasping the next, but only in revulsion or confusion. There are certainly moments that are very funny and there is some great I'm not sure that I understand the raves about this movie...I do agree that it has you laughing one minute and gasping the next, but only in revulsion or confusion. There are certainly moments that are very funny and there is some great satire re: government "intelligence." However the overall experience is disjointed and too realistic to be a true farce, yet too unrealistic to be a cutting satire. It seems that everyone making it had fun, but when we left the theater most of what I overheard was wondering why we hadn't had nearly as much fun watching it.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
NIckR.Sep 15, 2008
I thought this movie was brilliant. However, you have to have the right sense of humour to truly enjoy it. I don't think its a movie just about stupidity, it is about American stupidity. The characters are all archetypal, and seem to I thought this movie was brilliant. However, you have to have the right sense of humour to truly enjoy it. I don't think its a movie just about stupidity, it is about American stupidity. The characters are all archetypal, and seem to hilariously reflect a kind of paranoia that historically defines this country. I thought it was brilliant, but I understand why some without my sense of humour may not have enjoyed it.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
DaveJ.Sep 15, 2008
Entertaining, but definitely the weakest Coen brothers movie I've seen. Almost feels like a stop-gap production, or at least I hope it is.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
DarrellS.Sep 15, 2008
The Coen Brothers do it again. They could seriously film a turd for a few hours, and it would still be one of the greatest movies ever.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
HollyC.Sep 15, 2008
Oh man. This was an unexpectedly great little movie...though I'm not sure what I expected --it definitely surpassed it. Burn After Reading definitely resembles Fargo the most though it's far more pessimistic and funnier at the same Oh man. This was an unexpectedly great little movie...though I'm not sure what I expected --it definitely surpassed it. Burn After Reading definitely resembles Fargo the most though it's far more pessimistic and funnier at the same time. Almost all the characters give a very strong impression--even the ones on-screen for only a couple minutes. I thoroughly enjoyed this film There are a few moments of sheer laughter--as well as sheer horror---very much a Coen Brothers movie in every way---and for me, one of there best.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
RobertC.Sep 18, 2008
Nick R., I know what you mean. This is not just a "minor Coen", not just a one-off light comedy. It's a statement on the Washington psychosis. The proletarian population tends to forget about this class of people- the Beltway culture- Nick R., I know what you mean. This is not just a "minor Coen", not just a one-off light comedy. It's a statement on the Washington psychosis. The proletarian population tends to forget about this class of people- the Beltway culture- and they are prime material for satire. You can really "read into" this film. I can't believe the critics are missing the point. Also, something must be said about the craft. The Coens are master storytellers. Their screenplays are so tight. Fargo, Lebowski, No Country and Burn are the greatest examples of their "THIS happens so THIS happens so THIS happens" style. Brilliant film. Brilliant acting. I loved seeing the worldly Brad Pitt act like a retard.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
SammyQ.Sep 18, 2008
This is a movie just to go see because of Pitt and Clooney are in. The comedy of the year is Tropic Thunder. Burn after reading is just a waste of money.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
KevinB.Sep 18, 2008
I went in to this movie with somewhat low expectations because of many of these reviews. I was surprised to find a great movie that ranks up there with other great Coen brothers films. It was a very funny script while still crafting an I went in to this movie with somewhat low expectations because of many of these reviews. I was surprised to find a great movie that ranks up there with other great Coen brothers films. It was a very funny script while still crafting an intriguing story and didn't need to rely on a typical "funny man" to cover up sub-par comedic writing. A clever, entertaining movie. I don't understand the criticism.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
DaveW.Sep 18, 2008
It has some funny moments and some violent ones. I like both of the above but they didn't work well in this case. The characters were so stupid you just didn't care.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
DrewP.Sep 21, 2008
Ummm I'm still trying to get my money back for this movie. What the hell is the point its nonsense.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
4
ClaytonH.Sep 23, 2008
This was too long in setting the stage and ultimately not satisfying in the conclusion.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
FantasySep 25, 2008
I'm amazed at these reviews. We saw this in a packed theater. It is a black comedy, a satire, and the acting was simply outstanding. At the end of the movie the last 5 minutes I thought I was going to wet myself as the Coen Brothers had I'm amazed at these reviews. We saw this in a packed theater. It is a black comedy, a satire, and the acting was simply outstanding. At the end of the movie the last 5 minutes I thought I was going to wet myself as the Coen Brothers had the audience howling. I don't mean just us I mean the entire theater had tears rolling down their cheeks. It was just too funny. For those of you who didn't like this, you guys need to lighten up.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
KevinH.Sep 27, 2008
First off let me preface this review with the statement that this movie isn't for everyone. Comedy films are the most subjective of all genres. When i saw this film last night i couldn't understand why i was laughing every 20 First off let me preface this review with the statement that this movie isn't for everyone. Comedy films are the most subjective of all genres. When i saw this film last night i couldn't understand why i was laughing every 20 seconds whereas only a couple other people laughed at all during the entire screening. If you have watched pretty much all the coen brothers comedies since fargo you will probably love this. If you have a very dark sense of humor and your favorite rolling stones song is paint it black this is your movie. The Coen brothers have the best ability for characterization of any filmmakers working in america. Never completely stereotypical characters but stereotypical enough that we can relate to them and recognize a type. The film is a comic symphony where the laughs are interspersed at the beginning and the big laughs are set up for later only to reach a crescendo in the last half hour. it's a movie you really have to pay attention too and if you pay enough attention you will be rewarded. Is the film really about anything. My feeling is that the coen brothers films never have a giant, didactic and overarching theme. The satirical look at the characters displays tiny small themes that are all found within the subtext of the immediate scene. The acting is amazing with brad pitt doing what will be remembered as one of his best films along clooney. so understated most of the way through but they are all so immersed in character that it's amazing and whenever a character does something that seems ridiculous, the actors are that character so indelibly that it makes sense. In regards to the coen brothers exploiting there characters with a mean spirited hatred. I disagree. To understand character as well as the coen's do, one has to love people in general. The only way you can pull off this type of comedy is to love people because of their idiosyncracies and not in spite of them. there comedy sensiblities remind me of preston sturges 40's films and yes O Brother Where art thou's title is a reference to sturges' sullivan's travels. Could have been a 10 that i gave it but it wasn't perfect.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
4
TinaRJan 12, 2009
With such a great cast, I thought this movie couldn't be bad, but BOY IT WAS BAD. I can only give it a 4 because Brad Pitt did a very good job and it was the only good thing about this movie. Despite that, It was very boring.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
jeremyashlynJan 17, 2009
A punchy little pulp film. funny and cute.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
johnE.Feb 19, 2009
loved every second of it. If you didn't like it its probably because you are too dumb to get it.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
4
AnnG.Mar 12, 2009
'Some great actors in a less than great movie. Brad Pitt was the most amusing and I am not a Pitt fan. I wish there were better scripts for such talented actors.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
ArtG.Aug 18, 2009
If you saw the trailer and thought it looked like a really funny movie like I did be warned it's not. Disturbing is the kindest way to discribe it. In the future if its by the Coens I ain't goin'.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
GendolynH.Nov 29, 2008
The film had a few laughs but it was flat overall. I was really amazed this came from the Coen brothers, whose work I generally like quite a lot, but this was way below their standards of excellence like Fargo.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
gschmidtDec 17, 2008
Has a bit of everything, always keeps you guessing, and even manages to make a statement about some of our values as a society.
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1
MaccaNotDisclosedDec 23, 2008
Complete trash. I can't believe the good rating this has. The characters were stupid and unconvincing and the script was just utterly weird, and left you feeling out of place and disappointed at the end of it. Ten minutes into the film Complete trash. I can't believe the good rating this has. The characters were stupid and unconvincing and the script was just utterly weird, and left you feeling out of place and disappointed at the end of it. Ten minutes into the film you realised how bad it was, and it maintained that throughout the film. The worst of the Coen brothers' films.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
sazziesazzieDec 26, 2008
I enjoyed this because it was blackly funny and unpredictable, and because cloony's character was hilarious. I can't believe every critic seemed to like Brad though ---he was really overacting and his character was flat; I was glad I enjoyed this because it was blackly funny and unpredictable, and because cloony's character was hilarious. I can't believe every critic seemed to like Brad though ---he was really overacting and his character was flat; I was glad that he wasn't in the whole film. The two CIA guys were superb, especially the closing scene.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
MichaelKisielewskiDec 27, 2008
What really bothered me here is Malkovich's character and the inane and contuous barking at the screen. While I could have been all for a loopy comedy in the vein of "The Big Lebowski," this fell so short of the potential that wasWhat really bothered me here is Malkovich's character and the inane and contuous barking at the screen. While I could have been all for a loopy comedy in the vein of "The Big Lebowski," this fell so short of the potential that was there. Brad Pitt was the sole savior of this film that should have been funnier with the dynamite comdeic cast that they had here. I have come to realize that I am not a Coen Brother's fan, and that is okay. I will love Lebowski for every "Dude"ist moment, and pack my bags and choose an Aronowski film every time.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
4
EricC.Dec 28, 2008
Normally I'm a big defender of the Coen brother's black comedies, but this time... I don't know. Maybe the formula has grown old. How many times can you watch a bunch of wacky characters destroy each other through desperation Normally I'm a big defender of the Coen brother's black comedies, but this time... I don't know. Maybe the formula has grown old. How many times can you watch a bunch of wacky characters destroy each other through desperation and coincidence? They've made this movie before, and so have multiple others. The actors dedicate little to the movie. Only Brad Pitt seems to put in effort, but he's only resurrecting previous characters. I wasn't bored while watching, but was disheartened by cheap jokes and cheap thrills. The Coen brothers reached greatness last year, now they sit lazily in meniocrity. It just isn't very good at all.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
ERG1008Aug 24, 2010
Man loses job at the CIA, writes memoirs, wife is having an affair then wants a divorce, couple of dimwits find the memoirs on a disc, try to sell it to the Russians as Top Secret intelligence.
Coen brothers do farce. Cast are fine & thereMan loses job at the CIA, writes memoirs, wife is having an affair then wants a divorce, couple of dimwits find the memoirs on a disc, try to sell it to the Russians as Top Secret intelligence.
Coen brothers do farce. Cast are fine & there are some clever bits in it but took a while to get going.
Ending does seem a bit rushed too.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
9
MovieJayDec 15, 2010
I find metacritic users to be so fickle in their tastes. This movie is so enjoyable, and it has tons of repeat value. The cast is in top form, particularly Brad Pitt. So much better than the lackluster rating it's got on here.
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All this user's reviews
8
Mewtwo465Jul 1, 2011
Oh the Coen Brothers. They never fail to amaze me. With every single film they release they capture something that lures you into the type of film. In No Country For Old Men what the Coen Brothers captured in that film was Anton's behaviourOh the Coen Brothers. They never fail to amaze me. With every single film they release they capture something that lures you into the type of film. In No Country For Old Men what the Coen Brothers captured in that film was Anton's behaviour and generated it into something only they can do. Same with Fargo but it wasn't the villain who was blessed by the Coens. It was the protagonist. In this film it's the whole entire cast. And that's why so many people don't understand this film. Most of you probably think this film is just about stupid people who do stupid things. Well you're all right about that but this film is much more than that. It's about the whole world. It's about how the whole world is going to become stupid as time goes by and how very small things nowadays can lead to ginormous catastrophes. There's always the news as an example. People going to war and killing each other. Then there's things you don't hear on the news but things you experience in every day life. Like modern high schools for example. The students are becoming dumber and dumber and deliberately not paying any attention to the teachers whatsoever just to act hard and cool in front of their mates. So where I'm coming from? So that's all I really need to explain. Now here are my opinions on the movie. It has a good and solid cast. Brad Pitt and George Clooney were amazing. The others were good too. And I also like the way this film is a Black Comedy. I love Black Comedies. The humour in them is unusual. And that's what I like about them. The story was good too but it was challenging during some parts. I don't really have any criticisms for this movie so I'm just going to give it a 8/10 for it's good humour and it's memorable characters. The bad thing is that it's a little bit too long but it doesn't over do it. I hope you liked my review!… Expand
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8
TokyochuchuApr 24, 2015
Burn After Reading is another great Cohen brothers movie. It has a slow burn feel to it, with a lot of the fun coming in after repeat viewings. The devil is in the small random details that truly bring on the chuckles. George Clooney'sBurn After Reading is another great Cohen brothers movie. It has a slow burn feel to it, with a lot of the fun coming in after repeat viewings. The devil is in the small random details that truly bring on the chuckles. George Clooney's obsession with peoples wood flooring, the way that Mr. Crapokin is always referred to as Mr. Crapkin or the repeated use of the words Tuckman-Marsh certainly stick in the mind. Burn After Reading is just great stuff all round.… Expand
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6
D-SliceDec 26, 2010
I enjoyed Burn After Reading for it's unconventional plot and hilarious performance from Brad Pitt. So many stupid people played by a cast of awesomeness. But this movie was missing quite a few things. It didn't really have a great impact andI enjoyed Burn After Reading for it's unconventional plot and hilarious performance from Brad Pitt. So many stupid people played by a cast of awesomeness. But this movie was missing quite a few things. It didn't really have a great impact and I think I know why. The Coens found great success with their Best Picture winner No Country For Old Men and tried to re-create that success, and who wouldn't? They created some form of success, but this movie fell short of being memorable. The performances of the stupid people in Washington felt a bit overplayed at times and some of the jokes we admit are funny, but not very. Still, Pitt's acting shines in this one, so I'll say that this movie is okay in my book.… Expand
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7
Palino007May 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.
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5
avatar16Feb 7, 2012
Il était presque difficile de croire que les frères Coen nous livre une comédie après le sublime No Country For Old Men. Encore plus étonnant, que ce nouveau film n'ait pas leIl était presque difficile de croire que les frères Coen nous livre une comédie après le sublime No Country For Old Men. Encore plus étonnant, que ce nouveau film n'ait pas le caractère mordant propre aux réalisateurs. Enfin, si... si l'on décortique à fond cette comédie. Mais il faut bien l'avouer : ce qui ne sont pas habitués à ce genre d'univers ne peuvent pas entièrement accrocher à ce genre d'humour, prenant l'ensemble pour un simple film quelque peu monotone. Mais il faut bien reconnaître que la plupart des quiproquos se montrent jouissifs et que les comédiens se laissent aller (Brad Pitt, exceptionnel!). Bref, une sympathique farce noir qui manque tout de même de mordant.… Expand
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5
TyranianOct 2, 2019
One of my least favourite Coen brothers, has some clever moments and writing but is full of unlikeable characters.
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8
beingryanjudeAug 27, 2014
Don't look over this one, it's actually the Coens Brothers strongest comedy to date. Burn After Reading is quick-witted and smart. You'll have as much fun as Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand and George Clooney are having.
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10
pkgadersonsJun 10, 2012
I loved the castI loved the cast .… Expand
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8
SpangleJul 26, 2014
I am usually not a huge fan of the Coen Brothers, but this one was really good. First off, the comedy is on point as this one, in particular Brad Pitt's character, is entirely hilarious. Typically, I do not love their brand of comedy, as II am usually not a huge fan of the Coen Brothers, but this one was really good. First off, the comedy is on point as this one, in particular Brad Pitt's character, is entirely hilarious. Typically, I do not love their brand of comedy, as I thought Raising Arizona and O, Brother Where Art Thou were ok to pretty good films, but not very funny and I did not enjoy The Big Lebowski. However, this one is totally different and takes the best of their past films (in particular, this one feels similar to Fargo, though funnier) and puts it together with some great laughs. As is typical, the writing is great and the direction here is very good. the acting is also good, especially from Pitt, Frances McDormand, and George Clooney. Malkovich and Tilda Swinton are also solid. In addition, the plot is really fun. It is crazy and hectic, but is a ton of fun to watch unfold and really makes for an enjoyable viewing experience. Overall, this one may not be the Coen Brothers' most acclaimed films, but it is certainly a very good film with a ton of laughs and is a worthy entry into their filmography.… Expand
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9
LaMagiadeVirueAug 1, 2013
Me reí mucho con esta película; una dirección magnifica de los hermanos que siempre lo dejan boqui-abierto con sus producciones. Altamente recomendada.
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8
MovieGuysMay 30, 2016
Burn After Reading has the old Coen Brothers feel to it immediately, and it's a fun ride from there. The movie is short and over before you know it, but it is a nice little dark comedy with interesting characters and a ridiculously funny plot.
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8
heeldavidJul 23, 2014
Burn After Reading is one of the Coen Brothers' most underrated work, who better to gives us a great deadpan/dark comedy than the Coens. The film has very funny jokes in a very specific way. The Cast Is Just Great
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7
chwJul 18, 2014
Burn After Reading was disappointing because it's a film by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, and every film of theirs was good, but this one was just weird and I would say it ended too quickly.
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6
FilmQueenNov 28, 2015
I can't say this film is not funny, it has some quite entertaining parts. It's not a bad film at all, but it's kind of messy, the plot just jumps from one character to another and nothing gets resolved. Plus a lot of characters are extremelyI can't say this film is not funny, it has some quite entertaining parts. It's not a bad film at all, but it's kind of messy, the plot just jumps from one character to another and nothing gets resolved. Plus a lot of characters are extremely stupid, annoyingly so. The part that John Malkovich played is an exception, his character is kind of a jerk, but the only person with a brain. Brad Pitt's character is extremely idiotic, but he is also an exception, because Pitt managed to make him hilarious.… Expand
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5
MovieMasterEddyApr 3, 2016
Coens Ask the C.I.A. for a License to Laugh.

Heart isn’t usually part of the discussion when we talk about movies, partly, I imagine, because it sounds too corny. And fuzzy. After all, what does it mean to say this or that director or filmCoens Ask the C.I.A. for a License to Laugh.

Heart isn’t usually part of the discussion when we talk about movies, partly, I imagine, because it sounds too corny. And fuzzy. After all, what does it mean to say this or that director or film shows a lot of heart or too little? I ask only because “Burn After Reading,” the clubby, predictably self-amused comedy from Joel and Ethan Coen, has a tricky plot, visual style, er, to burn, but so little heart as to warrant a Jarvik 8.

Not that you probably won’t choke up a couple of ho-ho’s in between a few hee-hee’s whenever Big Daddy Brad Pitt, as a nitwit gym rat with a Pepe Le Pew two-tone hair-stack, twitches across the screen or the camera nuzzles one of the other goofy gargoyles so beloved by the Coens. Mr. Pitt’s Chad is the overripe second banana to Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand, Joel Coen’s wife), who has some vague job at the gym where the two sort of work. Chad’s a buffoon (the hard body as soft brain), and Mr. Pitt has been charged with delivering a caricature rather than a character, but because the actor loves playing sidemen and conveys such natural, irrepressible (irresistible) sweetness, he’s also one of the film’s saving graces.

It could use a few more. Like most of the Coens’ comedies, “Burn After Reading” is something of a shaggy sendup of an established genre and conventions, in this case the espionage flick. The film opens and closes with a Google Maps view of the Earth that has already become a cinematic cliché, a godly perspective that rapidly narrows in on the headquarters for the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, Va. There, an analyst named Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) soon receives a demotion for boozing, the first knot in an increasingly and intentionally tangled thicket of contrivances and coincidences mostly involving three favorite American (and Hollywood) preoccupations: money, sex and self.

With its complexly interwoven stories, political backdrop and the central presence of a bearded George Clooney, the film comes across a bit like “Syriana for Dummies,” though given the original this seems somewhat redundant. Here Mr. Clooney, recycling the tic-y head bobs and weaves from his “ER” days, plays Harry Pfarrer, a federal marshal who is two-timing his wife, Sandy (Elizabeth Marvel), with Osborne’s scarier better half, Katie (Tilda Swinton). A serial adulterer who totes his own wedge-shaped bolster to his assignations, Harry hooks up with Linda through the Internet, an improbability only slightly less preposterous than the computer disk of C.I.A. secrets that ends up floating around Linda and Chad’s gym and leading them in a world of trouble. As Donald H. Rumsfeld once said, “Stuff happens.”

Professional wisenheimers, the Coens like squeezing laughs out of potentially hazardous material, whether they’re dumping a paraplegic out of a wheelchair for a chuckle, as they do in their finest film, “The Big Lebowski” (a comedy about the drama of friendship), or violently disposing of bit players, as they do in their most recent , “No Country for Old Men” (a drama about the comedy of death). They have a gift for the absurd and a penchant for cruelty, tendencies that, without the tempering quality of a recognizably human presence — Jeff Bridges’s glorious performance in “Lebowski,” Ms. McDormand’s emotionally nuanced one in “Fargo” — can make the Coens come across as insufferably superior and bullying. Comedy needs fools with funny faces, but comedy without gentleness is often just sadism.

It isn’t that sadism can’t be a laugh riot; it’s just a question of modulation, of balancing the loud yuks and cruel jabs with some delicate feeling, mixing a real face in with the cartoons. Though “Burn After Reading” isn’t as uniformly flat as “The Hudsucker Proxy” (the Coens’ leaden bid for Preston Sturges’s dizziness), there’s a crushing sameness to the characters and their predicaments. With the exceptions of the hard-working supporting cast — notably J. K. Simmons as a C.I.A. bigwig and the equally reliable and welcome Richard Jenkins as a lovelorn gym manager — the characters have been conceived as variations on self-deluded boobishness. Some (like Katie) appear sharper than others, others dumber (Linda), but they’re all punch lines in an overly extended joke.

The Coens in turn have made their careers with impeccable technique and an exaggerated visual style — they sure love their low-angle shots and traveling cameras — but it’s a wonder they keep making films about a subject for which they often evince so little regard, namely other people.… Expand
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10
alejandro970Jan 7, 2018
Thriller- black comedy where the intelligence is relative, and the stupidity is absolut, annoying, catching and laughish. A magnifical cast where Brad Pitt as a dope, and John Malkovich as an embittered, swearing CIA analyst grabs all the movie.
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10
TrailesqueAug 31, 2020
This wacky comedy-thriller is one of my favorites from the Coen Brothers. I tend to like their fun stuff more than their miserable stuff. Lively performances elevate it above the material, which involves some DC-based cheating andThis wacky comedy-thriller is one of my favorites from the Coen Brothers. I tend to like their fun stuff more than their miserable stuff. Lively performances elevate it above the material, which involves some DC-based cheating and blackmailing foolishness. It is fun to see Pitt and Clooney in comic roles, and the supporting actors and camera work are all really good.… Expand
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4
amheretojudgeJun 15, 2018
disappointing after experiencing..

Burn After Reading It is a misguided feature whose actual concrete material is piled upon it's subtle tone that asks viewers to work for it and read between the line and if thought twice about it, thedisappointing after experiencing..

Burn After Reading

It is a misguided feature whose actual concrete material is piled upon it's subtle tone that asks viewers to work for it and read between the line and if thought twice about it, the extracted material narrows down to a moot point. The script is dull and annoying, as one can clearly see the writers sweat behind the camera to break a smile on the viewer's face, and fail miserably in the end. The artsy factor is here is taken for granted and relies completely upon the viewers to be star struck and appreciate to whatever is offered. The Coen Brothers; the writer-director, clearly fails to implement their vision on screen and seems unstable where each individual thread of the plot track is a textbook formula of cinema. Despite of having such a powerful cast like George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins and J.K. Simmons, their barely lies a performance that demands attention or even convince for a second look. It is short on technical aspects like sound department, art design and editing. Burn After Reading is more like disappointing after experiencing for the most of the part in here is either a failed attempt to create a humorous skit with a multi-billionaire cast or just hoax.… Expand
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3
FilipeNetoAug 24, 2018
This movie seems to make fun of the secret world of spies, their agencies and secrets. The entire film revolves around an American spy who, after being removed from office, decides to write a memoir. But the CD-ROM where he put its sketchThis movie seems to make fun of the secret world of spies, their agencies and secrets. The entire film revolves around an American spy who, after being removed from office, decides to write a memoir. But the CD-ROM where he put its sketch went to the hands of a gym employee who, with the help of an idiot coworker, tries to blackmail him. Then, the movie goes on to create a huge confusion about something so minor that, in the end, even the CIA are amazed at the situation.

The biggest problem I've felt here is the fact that the film handles everything very lightly, as if none of it were really important. That fits the movie, but it creates a huge barrier between the audience and the film, as if we were watching a movie that doesn't want to catch our attention. This gets even worse if we consider that no character is capable of reaching the public. There are only people, much like any human being we meet outside but we do not have the interest to know, and for whom we do not look more than once. The result is to become invariably boring, sometimes very difficult to keep up with. In the end, except for the action scenes, we don't care about the movie anymore.

The best of this film are the performances of the main actors, usually very good but unable to truly shine in a film that did not allow that (they are good actors but they don't perform miracles). Clooney was very good, Pitt was convincing in the idiot character they gave him, Frances McDormand was pleasantly futile (something that her character demanded) and John Malkovich was OK, in a character without major difficulties but Which also never allowed him to have much space to show talent.… Expand
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8
geewahJan 26, 2021
The Coen brother's have produced a comedy that has an outlandish plot with some crazy scenes, but most importantly it's hilarious.
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2
CecilBJul 12, 2021
"Charade" was good, this movie was not. Cast members are not enough to carry hackneyed writing.
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