Burn After Reading (2008)

Burn After Reading
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Rated:

MA15+

Infrequent strong violence, coarse language

Director

Actors

Genres

Running time

  • 96 mins

At the headquarters of the CIA, analyst Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) arrives for a top-secret meeting. Unfortunately for Cox, the secret is soon out: he is being ousted. Elsewhere in the suburbs, and seemingly worlds apart, Hardbodies Fitness Centres employee Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) can barely concentrate on her work. She is consumed with her life plan for extensive cosmetic surgery, and confides her mission to can-do colleague Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt). When a computer disc containing material for the CIA analyst's memoirs accidentally falls into the hands of Linda and Chad, the duo are intent on exploiting their find. Events spiral out of everyone's and anyone's control, in a cascading series of darkly hilarious encounters.

Member reviews

Reviewed by: Oliver C.   |   24 October 2008

great acting throughout
storyline is gripping and builds to a hilarious conclusion
a really solid Coen bros output

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Reviewed by: Jack K.   |   11 November 2008

Though much different from Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing, BAR could be titled the same, largely the result of the characters’ lack of understanding, communication and plain stupidity. It’s darkly, darkly funny with a few brief violent scenes à la Coen brothers. At the conclusion, a minor player asks, "Well, what did we learn here?” That some humans make idiotic decisions? We know that already! That we never really know other people including our partners? Yep! That life is pointless and human values are worthless. Hey-Zeus, I hope not! Despite its nihilistic nature BAR is likely to suck you into its whacky absurdist plot. Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich and George Clooney glow with squirm-in-your-seat performances.

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Reviewed by: fothogirl   |   21 November 2008

This film should have been called Burn After MAKING!!! What a load of rubbish!!!

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Opinions expressed by members are those of the author, and are not necessarily the opinions of Quickflix .

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