Burn after Reading (2008)
Genre: Comedy / Crime
Duration: 96 minuten
Country:
United States / United Kingdom / France
Directed by: Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
Stars: George Clooney, Frances McDormand and John Malkovich
IMDb score:
7,0 (377.099)
Releasedate: 5 September 2008
Burn after Reading plot
"Intelligence is relative."
Osbourne Cox is a former CIA agent who begins his memoir after his discharge. His greedy and adulterous wife mistakes the digital version for their financial records and runs off with it. When that data is then exposed, two gym employees mistake it for sensitive CIA information and try to blackmail Osbourne. That leads to more problems than they can handle.
Actors and actresses
Harry Pfarrer
Linda Litzke
Chad Feldheimer
Osborne Cox
Katie Cox
Ted
Sandy Pfarrer
CIA Officer
CIA Superior
Krapotkin
Reviews & comments
Duke Nukem
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- 1837 messages
- 2023 votes
A very nice film that is really well put together. I like it even more on this rewatch than the first time! Everyone plays well, especially George Clooney with his nervous twitches and allergy to milk products made me laugh. A story that is actually about nothing and is full of misunderstandings and stupidities, I think that's hilarious!
Translated from Dutch · View original
filmfan0511
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- 1111 messages
- 1139 votes
Another one of the Coen brothers set up; films that usually appeal to me (except for their recent western films). However, Burn after Reading feels more like a snack than a mighty main course in everything; the film is short and fairly light-hearted, and does not require much of the viewer at any point. The story consists of a lot of miscommunication and hot air, but that is of course quite Coen-specific. Some characters are successful, others are not. Clooney, for example, puts down by far his least nice Coen role here, and actors like John Malkovich and Tilda Swinton also don't quite come out of the picture. It is mainly the characters of Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt that are very nice to follow, and actually carry the film. Pitt is hilarious as the dumb fitness geek; that guy really does have a lot of comedic talent if the role demands it. The moment when his character is suddenly shot dead is honestly a very shocking moment. I expected the whole thing to kick into high gear after that, but in the end the film never manages to reach a crescendo or climax. In addition, the two short scenes with JK Simmons as the CIA head have yet to be named; by far the most dryly funny moments in the film. The ending perfectly sums up the absurdity and futility of all the events in a dry way.
Summarized; Burn after Reading feels like the Coens on autopilot, but even then their films are at least entertaining. So is this one. 3*.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Sergio Leone
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- 4461 messages
- 3143 votes
Cool.
Already seen before my early years on MovieMeter and the tube from then is by no means applicable anymore. With a large number of Coens that I have seen in the meantime, I rank them fairly high in their oeuvre. In terms of absurdity, bizarre scenes, playful characters and crazy situations, this is just well made. Every character and every twist comes into its own.
This is also top notch in terms of cast and cast. I still think Brad Pitt and John Malkovich play the better characters, but even finicky roles like JK Simmons or Richard Jenkins are actually well played. Dry as a bone or pathetic: it is larger than life anyway and I'm glad I can appreciate it better now.
3.5
Translated from Dutch · View originalLatest News
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