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Burn After Reading
- Review Date: September 10, 2008
- R
- Genre: Comedy
- 2008
Common Sense Media says
Quirky, violent Coen comedy isn't meant for kids.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this quirky comic thriller has much in common with others in the Coen brothers' canon: It's very funny and very violent. There's plenty of sex (though not much nudity) and swearing ("f--k"s galore), and characters drink, like, manipulate, and whatever else they need to do to promote their own selfish interests. But teens may still want to see it, both because it stars Brad Pitt and George Clooney and because so many of the Coens' previous comedies have become cult favorites (Fargo, Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski).
What's the story?
Forced to quit his CIA analyst job, Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) vows to write his memoirs -- in between shots of whatever he's drinking at the moment. His chilly wife, Katie (Tilda Swinton), can't be bothered to be sympathetic; she's too busy sleeping with Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), a married federal marshal who's into infidelity, jogging, and hardwood floors. Then Osborne's manifesto-in-progress -- and a bunch of other personal data -- is purloined, falling into the hands of dim-bulb gym trainer Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt) and his coworker Linda Litzky (Frances McDormand), who desperately yearns for plastic surgery. Linda thinks the manuscript (and, ostensibly, its secrets) could be her ticket to beauty-ville, leading her and Chad down a very messy road. And they're not the only ones on the path, either.
Is it any good?
Wickedly funny and plainly outrageous, BURN AFTER READING gleefully takes potshots at spy films, making a big deal out of nothing, really. The farce begins with the opening credits' satellite pictures and sinister footfalls and doesn't let up from there. In the Coens' zany universe, nothing is sacred -- not marriage, not friendship, not even the CIA. Violence punctuates the jokes (you'll laugh; you can't help it). The brothers have assembled an incomparable cast, mixing up a potent dark comedy potion. Start with Pitt (as funny as he's ever been), then add a dash of Swinton, a swig of Clooney, and plenty of Malkovich for good measure. But it's really McDormand who owns the film; Linda is so desperate and yet so likeable that the madness she cooks up is almost palatable.
Still, Burn After Reading is no Fargo. For all its cheek, it's not actually all that brazen. It doesn't push the envelope far enough -- at least for a Coen brothers movie. It lacks a certain amount inspiration and, well, to paraphrase one character, a point. Not that having a point is a must. But when characters are expended as blithely as they are here, you can't help asking that question. Then again, maybe we don't always need a reason to laugh out loud.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about whether any of the characters in the movie can be considered role models. What motivates them to behave the way they do? What do they have in common with characters in other Coen brothers movies? How does the movie as a whole stack up against the Coens' other films? Families can also discuss how a mountain is made out of a molehill in the movie. How does the situation escalate so quickly? Teens: Have you ever found yourself in circumstances that spun out of control? What did you do?
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Teen, 15 years old
June 10, 2010
AGE
For mid-teens, but adults would enjoy it most
It was so-so, the Coen brothers are one of my favorites but this didn't do it for me, because I thought the plot was confusing. If I was older I would've prabably understood it more.
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Teen, 17 years old
March 9, 2010
AGE
WARNING THIS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS:
Good Movie. As much as I liked Brad Pitt the scene where he got shot was the best part. But it got boring after that
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Teen, 14 years old
July 30, 2010
AGE
Really nothing to write home about...
There's nothing special about this movie, and although I'm never bothered by cursing, the amount in this movie is just ridiculous....
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Parent of 7 year old
February 12, 2009
AGE
a waste of good actors
The Common sense review says this is a very funny movie. I guess I just didn't get it. It was the worst movie I've probably ever seen. I just kept thinking this is going somewhere . . . anywhere. It was full of actors that I really enjoy, but not in this movie. When they got to the part with the sex chair, I turned it off in disgust. OK, so I turned it back on hoping there was a funny ending where all the loose ends came together. But there really wasn't an ending at all. Like I said, I just didn't get it.
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Parent
February 26, 2010
AGE
Burn After Reading
Cool movie. The closet gunshot scene was hilarious... in a dark sort of way.
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Teen, 13 years old
January 19, 2010
AGE
Without Brad Pitt the movie would have been a disaster. But they had him so it was okay.
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Teen, 14 years old
August 30, 2009
AGE
Good movie with a dark, "lesson learned" outcome
I like this Cohen brothers movie because it teaches that violence and lies get you no where in the professional world.
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Adult
June 16, 2009
AGE
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Parent of 7, 9, and 11 year old
February 14, 2009
AGE
Not for Teens!
This movie has themes and scene that are not appropriate for kids or teens (as the current rating suggests). Some involve sex toys, extremely foul language, murder and very adult situations. NOT recommended for families at all!
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Teen, 13 years old
June 24, 2009
AGE
e.g. Perfect for older kids, but not for tweens
LOL SO FUNNY
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| Studio: | Focus Features |
| Directors: | Ethan Coen, Joel Coen |
| Cast: | Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 96 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | September 11, 2008 |
| DVD release date: | December 21, 2008 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | pervasive language, some sexual content and violence. |
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