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IMDbPro

Burn After Reading

  • 2008
  • Tous publics
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
368K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
920
40
Jeffrey Mowery in Burn After Reading (2008)
Burn After Reading - Theatrical Trailer
Play trailer1:48
25 Videos
99+ Photos
Dark ComedyFarceSatireComedyCrimeDramaThriller

A disk containing mysterious information from a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous and daft gym employees who attempt to sell it.A disk containing mysterious information from a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous and daft gym employees who attempt to sell it.A disk containing mysterious information from a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous and daft gym employees who attempt to sell it.

  • Directors
    • Ethan Coen
    • Joel Coen
  • Writers
    • Joel Coen
    • Ethan Coen
  • Stars
    • Brad Pitt
    • Frances McDormand
    • George Clooney
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.0/10
    368K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    920
    40
    • Directors
      • Ethan Coen
      • Joel Coen
    • Writers
      • Joel Coen
      • Ethan Coen
    • Stars
      • Brad Pitt
      • Frances McDormand
      • George Clooney
    • 730User reviews
    • 356Critic reviews
    • 63Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 3 BAFTA Awards
      • 8 wins & 32 nominations total

    Videos25

    Burn After Reading
    Trailer 1:48
    Burn After Reading
    Burn After Reading
    Trailer 0:33
    Burn After Reading
    Burn After Reading
    Trailer 0:33
    Burn After Reading
    A Guide to the Films of the Coen Brothers
    Clip 1:56
    A Guide to the Films of the Coen Brothers
    Burn After Reading
    Clip 0:53
    Burn After Reading
    Burn After Reading
    Clip 0:43
    Burn After Reading
    Burn After Reading
    Clip 0:36
    Burn After Reading

    Photos180

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    Top cast77

    Edit
    Brad Pitt
    Brad Pitt
    • Chad Feldheimer
    Frances McDormand
    Frances McDormand
    • Linda Litzke
    George Clooney
    George Clooney
    • Harry Pfarrer
    John Malkovich
    John Malkovich
    • Osborne Cox
    Tilda Swinton
    Tilda Swinton
    • Katie Cox
    Richard Jenkins
    Richard Jenkins
    • Ted
    Elizabeth Marvel
    Elizabeth Marvel
    • Sandy Pfarrer
    David Rasche
    David Rasche
    • CIA Officer Palmer DeBakey Smith
    J.K. Simmons
    J.K. Simmons
    • CIA Superior
    • (as JK Simmons)
    Olek Krupa
    Olek Krupa
    • Krapotkin
    Michael Countryman
    Michael Countryman
    • Alan
    Kevin Sussman
    Kevin Sussman
    • Tuchman Marsh Man
    J.R. Horne
    • Divorce Lawyer
    • (as JR Horne)
    Hamilton Clancy
    Hamilton Clancy
    • Peck
    Armand Schultz
    Armand Schultz
    • Olson
    Pun Bandhu
    Pun Bandhu
    • Party Guest
    Karla Mosley
    Karla Mosley
    • Party Guest
    Jeffrey DeMunn
    Jeffrey DeMunn
    • Cosmetic Surgeon
    • Directors
      • Ethan Coen
      • Joel Coen
    • Writers
      • Joel Coen
      • Ethan Coen
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews730

    7.0368.3K
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    Featured reviews

    7massimo-pigliucci

    not their best, but pleasurable nonetheless

    This is by far not the most interesting production by the Cohens, but it is worth watching on a variety of levels. First, there is the pleasure of seeing a bunch of good actors working together with great chemistry, some of them (like Pitt and Clooney) certainly not in their "traditional" roles. Second, the story is actually wacky enough to hold up in terms of internal logic, as strange as it may seem. As usual with the brothers, do expect some unexpected turns, of the violent variety. And yet, somehow, the movie retains the character of a light comedy. Pay particular attention to the very last words spoken in the film, they may be the best summary of the whole thing I've heard so far.
    erica-224

    More "Big Lebowski" Than "Intolerable Cruelty" -- thankfully

    BURN AFTER READING is laugh-out-loud funny. It's more "Big Lebowski" than "Intolerable Cruelty," though there are wisps of both, but "Burn" is not quite up to Lebowski's genius. Still, it is very, very funny and loads of fun.

    From the opening moments, the Coens' latest movie -- a spy-thriller spoof -- hurls the viewer on a hilarious romp through Absurd-land. What better place to set such a story than Washington, DC?

    The story involves a demoted government worker (John Malkovich) who finds himself the target of an extortion scheme by two gym workers, riotously played by Frances McDormand (a would-be gym bunny if only she could afford some plastic surgery) and Brad Pitt (a high-energy, arm-thrusting, hip-shaking fitness trainer-cum-"good Samaritan" who lands himself way in over his head). The romp soon turns dark.

    As usual, the Coens' dialog is a real treat. When a co-worker points to Malkovich's alcohol problems as a reason for his demotion, Malkovich retorts, "You're a Mormon. Next to you we all have a drinking problem." And as usual in Coen-land, there's a clash between high and low brow. Malkovich's pronunciations of "mem-wahhh" for "memoir" is a hoot, and his correction of Pitt's mistaken "report" for "rapport" propels a conflict between classes and types -- symbols of a society in trouble, whose priorities are askew.

    As in the Coen brothers' 1987 box-office hit RAISING ARIZONA, obsessions fuel the plot, though this time it's body (not baby) obsession. McDormand is hellbent on getting expensive elective surgery to "reinvent" herself. Pitt is a workout addict, who can barely stop moving long enough to think straight. And George Clooney, who can only stop talking when it's time to go running or jump into bed with someone, plays a G-man fixated on sex. Notions of "intelligence" and all that the word connotes (along with its antonyms) mix into the film's dark comedic brew of unintended consequences.

    Where does it go? I don't want to give away any of the twists to answer that question in depth. But I would disagree with the critics who claim it doesn't go anywhere. The movie and its over-the-top, needless violence show how secretive missions even by bumbling know-nothings (whose only knowledge of undercover ops seems to come from spy flicks) can have disastrous outcomes. Secrets in Washington? Sure sounds like a topic we should all be better versed in.

    • Erica Rowell Author: The Brothers Grim: The Films of Ethan and Joel Coen http://www.amazon.com/Brothers-Grim-Films-Ethan-Joel/dp/0810858509
    8Bernie4444

    An ax-ceptable film from the Coen Brothers.

    In the Coen tradition, we get our share of blood and guts in the story of Semper Fidelis.

    A level three analyst in the CIA, Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) is banished to a lesser position, presumably due to excessive imbibing. As with the movie "Hopscotch" with Walter Matthau, Osbourne decides to write his memoirs. Now, what do you suppose would happen if the memoir mysteriously gets in the possession of some aging female that is determined to get comedic surgery and is desperate for money and love. This leads to a chain reaction of fidelity and infidelity.

    When the day is done does the CIA know what they started and learn from whatever it is they did?

    The film has a good collection of popular actors. Tilda Swinton as Katie Cox gets to replay her role as the Snow Queen.
    7millerian-55

    One of the funniest movies ever made

    The Coen Brothers seem to have a catalog of movies that are both beloved and highly underrated. And no better example of the latter than Burn After Reading.

    Despite the solid 7.0 Rating and the 63 on Metascore, which are all positive, especially for a mainstream US movie. I think this movie is highly underrated by both film critics and audiences. This film works under a very particular type of weird, deadpan comedy that seems to be unloved by a majority of general audiences. But I personally consider this movie to be not only one of my all-time favorites but a tremendously hilarious film filled with wonderful writing and performances.

    While Brad Pitt is obviously the standout in this film, I think this film is helped a lot by the casting of the supporting actors. Richard Jenkins is my favorite of the supporting actors, and he again shows how underrated of an actor he is. He steals the show in a very nervous and insecure performance that works very well for the character.

    The writing is truly exceptional, and the way every single subplot works to connect with the main story is beautifully done and is brought together wonderfully for a hilarious, but poignant ending.

    If you like deadpan, awkward humor this will work very well for you. But even if you don't find the humor all that funny, this is still a very well-acted and written, and most importantly, entertaining.
    ametaphysicalshark

    The Coens' funniest film since "The Big Lebowski"

    I'm not the only one to notice the pattern in the Coens' filmography: "Blood Simple." was followed by "Raising Arizona", "Fargo" by "The Big Lebowski", and "No Country for Old Men" by "Burn After Reading". The main concern one had about this film is whether it would be an "Intolerable Cruelty" or a "Big Lebowski" for the Coens. Let's put it this way: the reviews have been mixed, especially from major mainstream media critics. Guess what other Coen comedy received mixed reviews and was accused of being a somewhat tired mess? Yep, "The Big Lebowski".

    The Coens' sense of humor is very distinctive, and I'm not talking about stuff like "Intolerable Cruelty" (this one the mainstream media liked, go figure) and "The Ladykillers", which featured numerous commercial concessions. I'm talking about the vicious, cruel, misanthropic farce that gets self-important critics' knickers in a twist. Describing "Burn After Reading" as a screwball spy farce makes it sound much more "Austin Powers" than it is. There is a lot of silliness, but the sort of silliness one finds in a Howard Hawks comedy, not in most comedies that have been made recently. It's a screwball comedy but a pretty dark one.

    This is most certainly an acquired taste. It is not going to go down well with people who can't laugh at murder, things going terribly wrong for innocent people, or the Cones' trademark dialogue that pops up even in 'serious' movies like "Fargo" and "No Country for Old Men". However, "Burn After Reading" was seemingly tailor-made for my cruel sense of humor, as I found it to be easily the most inspired comedy script in a long time. It's a conspiracy espionage thriller with no stakes, nothing to fight over, a bunch of complete fools and idiots caught in the middle of it ("a league of morons" if you listen to John Malkovich's character), and disastrous consequences for just about everyone. Take out the jokes and you could have a tragedy but as it stands this is the funniest movie the Coens have made since "The Big Lebowski", if not the best, and that includes "O Brother, Where Art Thou?".

    One really shouldn't know anything about the plot or how it unfolds prior to seeing it, as this is a film which is far more intricately-plotted than most critics are giving it credit for. The basic concept is that Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt's characters come across a disc they think contains top secret intelligence. What follows is, as described above, a thriller with no stakes and a bunch of idiots. It's one of those movies where you really shouldn't be laughing (for ethical reasons) but are, and it will have you laughing through your disapproval for basically the entirety of the film after the opening fifteen minutes or so, which are rough in comparison to the rest of the film, and to be honest the only thing that keeps this film from being absolutely brilliant and the Coens' best movie since "Lebowski". Just don't go in expecting a movie that looks as beautiful as many of their movies do- Lubezki is no Deakins, at least not based on his work here, and the Coens are very clearly attempting to emulate in many ways the look of the sort of thriller they're basing this on. It's functional, well-shot, and well-directed, but the writing and acting are the main attractions here.

    Of course, "Burn After Reading" will be dismissed as having little worth and for being a disposable farce by many. Well, if only they knew how hard it is to do comedy well. I'd reckon this was harder to write than the (admittedly tremendous) "No Country for Old Men", which was adapted from a novel that might as well have been a screenplay if formatted correctly. The movie may not start brilliantly (not that it isn't good even early on), but once the Coens start firing on all cylinders they never stop, and the dream cast certainly doesn't either (Brad Pitt has a smaller role than most cast members here, but he is absolutely brilliant in the role), showing tremendous comic skill that few would have guessed most of them had. The final scene may very well be one of the best I have seen in a long, long time.

    "What a clusterf-ck!", indeed.

    9/10

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The Coen Brothers (Joel Coen & Ethan Coen) wrote the character Osborne Cox with John Malkovich in mind. Brad Pitt's character was also written with the actor in mind, inspired by a commercial for which he suffered a similar haircut and dye job. Indeed, the Coen Brothers noted at a Q&A session at the Venice Film Festival that all the leading characters were written for all the leading actors, with the exception of Tilda Swinton.
    • Goofs
      The CIA Supervisor states that Venezuela does not have an extradition treaty with the US. Venezuela has had a bilateral extradition treaty with the US since 1923.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      CIA Superior: What did we learn, Palmer?

      CIA Officer: I don't know, sir.

      CIA Superior: I don't fuckin' know either. I guess we learned not to do it again.

      CIA Officer: Yes, sir.

      CIA Superior: I'm fucked if I know what we did.

      CIA Officer: Yes, sir, it's, uh, hard to say.

      CIA Superior: Jesus fucking Christ.

    • Crazy credits
      As usual, the Coen Brothers edited this film under the pseudonym Roderick Jaynes
    • Connections
      Edited into Meet the Mormons (2014)
    • Soundtracks
      My Eyes Adored You
      Written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan

      Sung by George Clooney

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 10, 2008 (France)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • France
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Quémese después de leerse
    • Filming locations
      • Bronx Community College - University Avenue at West 181 Street, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Focus Features
      • StudioCanal
      • Relativity Media
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $37,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $60,355,347
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $19,128,001
      • Sep 14, 2008
    • Gross worldwide
      • $163,728,902
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 36m(96 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • SDDS
      • Dolby Digital
      • DTS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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