Burn After Reading
Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Writer: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Studio: Mike Zoss Productions
Release Date: 09/2008
Countries: France, UK, USA
Runtime: 96 min
Awards: Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 9 nominations
Also Known as: Burn After Reading (France)
Description: In this darkly comic farce from Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, an ousted CIA official (John Malkovich) loses his penned memoir to a pair of moronic gym employees (Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand, in a Golden Globe-nominated role) who use it to try and turn a profit. George Clooney and Tilda Swinton round out the cast of this irreverent tale of poorly executed espionage, which also earned a Golden Globe nod for Best Picture (Comedy).
Actors
| George Clooney | Harry Pfarrer |
| John Malkovich | Osbourne Cox |
| Armand Schultz | Olson |
| See all (12) | |
| Brad Pitt | Chad Feldheimer |
| David Rasche | Palmer DeBakey Smith, CIA Officer |
| Elizabeth Marvel | Sandy Pfarrer |
| Frances McDormand | Linda Litzke |
| Hamilton Clancy | Peck |
| J.K. Simmons | CIA Superior |
| J.R. Horne | Divorce Lawyer |
| Kevin Sussman | Tuchman Marsh Man |
| Michael Countryman | Alan |
| Olek Krupa | Krapotkin |
| Richard Jenkins | Ted Treffon |
| Tilda Swinton | Katie Cox |
What is overdone here? Human stupidity or randomness? Ohh... come on... not 2 stars... I am disappointed
I am disappointed too. If this was coming not from Coens (from whom I expect style and intelligence) I probably would not bother to watch it. The stellar cast is wasted (especially Clooney and Pitt), the plot is flat and overall the film is too dumb to be funny. Many other Coens works are either powerful or charming (not all). This one is a repulsive mess. I think I was wrong in my qualification above. The film is not overdone (I meant this in terms of quirkiness) – it is underdone (as a Coens product from which you expect absolute quality in all respects).
I respectfully disagree. This is probably best Pitt's performance. You need raw talent to play such a realistic idiot. Clooney's role is easy—playing himself in a way, Malkovich, McDormand and others are amazing. I think your quest for "intelligence" is misdirected... there is little intelligence in life, mostly randomness, emotions and stupidity.
That idiot is not realistic coming from Pitt. Not even a fraction as convincing and likeable as in say Snatch. The whole thing is just boringly stupid and has nothing to do with life.