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Actors:

George Clooney
Brad Pitt
John Malkovich
Tilda Swinton
J.K. Simmons
Frances McDormand

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A dark spy-comedy in which an ousted CIA agent (Malkovich) loses his memoir and it falls into the hands of two gym employees (Pitt) and (McDormand) looking to make some dough off the find. -- Supercrum

03/10/2012 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

"Burn After Reading" by Yojimbo

Two gym employees try to blackmail an ex CIA agent in the mistaken belief that they have stumbled on some sensitive material and wackiness ensues. Burn After Reading I think was trying to recreate the marriage of witty comedy and bleak criminality of Fargo but somehow they don't sit together anything like as well here. The cast is exceptional, but every character is basically a self serving asshole with the possible exception of Brad Pitt, who is just an idiot. There are some funny lines and Clooney and Simmons are as great as always, as are they all really but it's not all THAT funny, and the plot is a little too aimless and random to fully engage. It's not a bad film by any means, but by the Coens' standards I found it a little disappointing.

Rating of
2.5/4 

01/09/2012 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

Burn After Reading review

Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) resigns as a CIA analyst. In effect, Katie (Tilda Swinton) tries to file divorce. Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney) dates Linda since his divorce is being processed. Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt) calls Osbourne about documents left, which are his memoirs. Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) plans of having 4 operations and looking for a partner on the internet. She finds ways to convince her boss for an advance.

With the Coen brothers, the screenplay is always enlightening with some brilliant lines: Harry – “You just can't help dragging everything down.” Ousbourne – “You’re part of a league of morons.” Linda & Harry conversing – “I think that it's very important to maintain a positive attitude.” “Always up, always ebullient.” “Don't sweat the small stuff....

Rating of
3/4 

02/23/2009 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

cynical and cold

It's a compact film, as you would expect from the Coen's, the little touches are exquisite; the picture of Putin of the Russian Embassy wall, Brad Pitt's imbecile, Carter Burnwell's brilliant, paranoid, score, even down to the movie poster above advertising this film, are perfectly aligned and expertly delivered. Yet, despite the finesse Burn After Reading will leave you underwhelmed, deflated even, and if there is one over-riding criticism levelled at the film it's the distinct lack of warmth and empathy. Apart from Chad, you feel nothing for these characters and it's this nihilistic thread, which creeps in to the Coen's work from time to time, that leaves you so disengaged with the film. Ultimately, this feels more like a cold-hearted clinical piece of work rather than a labour of love,...

Rating of
2.5/4