Burn After Reading is part spy spoof and part rumination of middle-aged loneliness, which goes a long way to explain why its elements never cohere.
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11/12/08
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Burn After Reading (2008)
78 %
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 198
Fresh: 155
Rotten:43
Average Rating: 6.9/10
Consensus: With Burn After Reading, the Coen Brothers have crafted another clever comedy/thriller with an outlandish plot and memorable characters.
Theatrical Release: Sep 12, 2008 Wide
Box Office: $59,850,794
Synopsis: With their overtly comedic follow-up BURN AFTER READING, the Coen Brothers return--about a third of the way--from the dark, dank recesses of the human psyche they traversed in their Oscar-winning NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. For those... [More]
Starring: George Clooney, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt
Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Reviews for Burn After Reading
Even though Burn After Reading is often funny, it rarely achieves either the hilarity of Intolerable Cruelty or the iconic goofiness of The Big Lebowski.
11/12/08
aristotehniki diaheirisi mias fainomenika polymplegmenis plokis, tin opoia ksepsahnizoyn me haraktiristiki anesi kai aksiozileyti oikonomia, ksediplonontas me pliros sobaro antikataskopiko styl ap' ti skinothesia kai ti fotografia, mehri to montaz kai ti
11/08/08
These are functioning morons, they walk and work among us. And they are brilliant and funny and in spite of the screwball-comedy nature of the story, they are completely believable.
11/07/08
, Frances McDormand might get nominated for an Academy Award in a supporting role. She was great.
11/07/08
It’s morbidly absurdist, thoroughly pointless, and can certainly be funny at times.
10/29/08
It's surely old-hat by now to note the writer/directors' pervasive condescension and smugness, a criticism I don't think always holds true, especially when the Brothers more fully explore, e.g. The Man Who Wasn't There, their no less ubiquitous spi
10/22/08
Big stars act like darn fools in this broad black comedy, a lesser effort from the Coen Brothers.
10/20/08
It constantly teeters on the brink of falling apart, but it’s held together by the sheer will of its talented cast, all of whom seem to relish the opportunity to get a little goofy.
10/18/08
A smart urban screwball comedy about the perils of idiocy that uses its all-star cast to dazzling and often hilarious effect.
10/18/08
Skip descriptions of the plot, reject self-righteous denunciations of smart skepticism and charming evil, go and wallow in life-affirming laughter.
10/18/08
A roller coaster of emotions that will have you laughing one moment and gasping in shock the next.
10/18/08
Burn After Reading isn't 'cold' or distant -- it's a game, and a good one at that.
10/17/08
The great strength of the Coen brothers is their scripts, and Burn After Reading is not only one of their most skilfully plotted films, it's also one of their wittiest.
10/17/08
Made with the absolute assurance of filmmakers who know exactly what they’re doing.
10/17/08
It’s possibly the Coens’ least romantic film, which makes the cynical tone a tough pill to swallow, but chances are that you’ll be too busy hooting and chuckling idiotically to notice.
10/17/08
Halfway between a good Coen brothers movie and a terrible Coen brothers movie.
10/17/08
Latest News for Burn After Reading
October 17, 2008:
UK Critics Consensus: Is Burn After Reading A Coens Classic? Does Eagle Eye Have Enough Action, Man?
In this week's roster of UK cinema releases we have the latest addition to the Coen canon in the CIA comedy caper, Burn After Reading, Shia LeBeouf stakes a further claim to the... More...
September 22, 2008:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Jackson Debuts Ahead of the Race
Movies were serious business this weekend with drama, Lakeview Terrace, heading the box office hands down while comedies My Best Friend's Girl, Igor, and Ghost Town trail... More...
September 15, 2008:
Coen Brothers assemble A-list ensemble for latest screwball comedy. 
More...
September 15, 2008:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Coen Brothers Ring in a New Weekend at the Box Office
Joel and Ethan Coen scored the largest debut of their career and first-ever number one opening with the crime caper Burn After Reading. More...
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