Burn After ReadingMovie Reviews

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• So-so Based on 11,427 reviews
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  Written August 27, 2009

  • 

    This is comedy done right!

  by redyeah

  • 22 out of 27 found this review helpful.
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• Must Go!
  Written September 18, 2008

  Wait. Hold On. What?

  by robbiewf

  I can't yet decide whether I was more delighted by the overall scrumptious weirdness of the plot or by the brilliantly balanced weirdness of the characters. As a whole, an entirely smartly entertaining grotesque as you would hope for in a Coen production.
  I am still chuckling at the McDormand-Pitt combination. Hilarious. I think they steal the movie.
  

  • 37 out of 57 found this review helpful.
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• So-so
  Written September 26, 2008

  Burned

  by randomo

  Film wasn't too bad - I enjoy dark, dry humor - but I really expected more laughs in this one. Brad Pitt displayed excellent comedic timing in Mr. and Mrs. Smith and I hoped for the same in this movie, but felt he was too over-the-top and didn't deliver except for a couple scenes. I liked how the storyline kept moving though and also the surprise ending. This movie is more "DVD-rental" worthy instead of "theater-going" worthy.

  • 12 out of 14 found this review helpful.
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  Written September 13, 2008

  Burn After Reading

  by Richmi

  I'll preface this by saying that I am a "non-religious" person, because I can't help but wonder if this movie was intended to be a film about several people indulging in the various "7 deadly sins" and reaping their unfavorable results. Just about every major character went through a lot of self-created misery over, basically, nothing but their own misperceptions of various situations and things.
  
  This film could have easily been titled, "Much Ado About Nothing"...which is what made it hilarious to me at the end. It might make it easier on the viewer to understand that, although the movie does have some funny parts in it, my impression was that the film was created like a joke... the whole film building up to the ridiculous punchline in the very last minutes.
  
  There are some lessons to be learned from this film. Or not. :-)
  
  Addendum: The critic reviews on this site by the LA Times and USA Today do a good job of giving you a sense of what to expect.

  • 11 out of 13 found this review helpful.
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• Must Go!
  Written September 21, 2008

  EXCELLENT FILM--WE LOVED IT

  by I_Love_America2008

  Really enjoyed this one. Once you get used to the randomness of the story and undestand how well satire is being used, it is freakin hilarious. I really loved the scenes with J.K. Simmons--he plays a charactor within the movie trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Some folks just won't "get" this movie. ..well I guess that is why they make moveis like "House Bunny" too.

  • 13 out of 17 found this review helpful.
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  Written September 25, 2008

  Burn After Reading

  by pignalberi

  This was a thoroughly entertaining and very enjoyable, funny movie. In the black humor of the Coen Brothers. The super star cast was terrific! Each actor (Pitt, Clooney, Malkovich, McDormand, etc.) portrayed their character superbly! The best thing I can say is that I would watch it a second time........a step that usually only Russell Crowe persuades me to take!!

  • 21 out of 34 found this review helpful.
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• Oh No!
  Written September 17, 2008

  Misleading Movie Trailers; Crappy Movie

  by lorna072001

  I have never written a review on fandango before, but after watching this movie, I felt so passionate to let everyone know how terrible it is, that I just went ahead and signed up for an account. I was excited to watch this movie, as the movie trailers made me believe it was going to be a goofy comedy. Specifically, it was awesome to see Brad Pitt play this quirky, goofy role. It truly shows his talents and I wish he did more. But, without spoiling it for everyone, he isn't in the movie for long. I think Brad Pitt being in this movie is the ONLY reason to watch it.
  
  This movie was totally not what I thought it was. I thought it was going to be a fun comedy, but it is fact a black comedy. Totally not what I expected AND it doesn't make sense AT ALL! I thought things were going to come together at the end, but nope! It doesn't make sense at all and it totally drags!
  
  In short, this movie is a "netflix" calibur movie. Don't waste your money in the theatres for this.

  • 10 out of 13 found this review helpful.
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• Oh No!
  Written September 14, 2008

  I'm going to copy someone... Burn After Filming

  by mscave225

  This movie was pointless. I was confused the entire movie. The only thing that I liked about the movie was the unusual character of Brad Pitt. George Clooney was alright as well. I was expecting them two to be dynamic like the ocean's 11, 12, 13 trilogy. Needless to say, Tilda Swinton played her usual character well. I recommend to wait until this comes out on DVD probably by November.

  • 8 out of 9 found this review helpful.
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• Must Go!
  Written September 28, 2008

  Love it or hate it

  by Corinne_picks

  You're probably confused by the reviews and ratings. This is not a 3.5 star, so-so movie. This is either a 5 star or 1 star, love it or hate it movie. If you go in prepared for some twisted shockers that mix humor with tragedy in the very same instant, then you'll love it. If you go in looking for light-hearted feel-good homour, you may find it offensive. The so-called boring bits become funny when it gets tied together. The best part of the movie is when you think about it after - it really sticks. I want to see it again. I absolutely love Clooney but all the acting was superb and the story couldn't have been written better.

  • 9 out of 11 found this review helpful.
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• Oh No!
  Written September 16, 2008

  Would rather watch paint dry!!!

  by KyBlue

  I would not watch this movie again if I was paid to. I went with teenagers and my husband. We left 30 minutes into it. Crude sexual content. It tops my list of the most stupid movie ever made. I set up this account so people don't waste their money on this crap. "Burn instead of watching"

  • 20 out of 33 found this review helpful.
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• Oh No!
  Written September 18, 2008

  It Sucks!

  by mccormickplumbing

  Not sure what movie everyone else watched , but this was really bad. It wasn't even close to the league of Fargo or the Big Lobowski. Those were funny. This was just really bad. Maybe 5 min of total humor in the entire movie. Just a bunch of people saying ****.

  • 7 out of 8 found this review helpful.
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• Must Go!
  Written September 21, 2008

  Burn After Reading

  by bmuniz

  A stellar cast with terrific acting. I came to appreciate Brad Pitt's ability to play a "doofus" and a great comedic character in an entirely new light. I rate this movie highly, it easily compares to The Big Lewbowski, O Brother Where Art Thou and Fargo - the Coen trilogy that has long marked the high water mark of film satire and comedy. No longer a trio, now it's a quartet. From wonderful humor and incitful glimpses of human nature and motivation, like all Coen films it stretches reality to the limits of absurdity, and when it stretches back we are entertained and enlightened. There isn't a weak character or a weak moment in this movie. I laughed out loud from opening sequence to the bitter end - and even had to linger for the final notes of the soundtrack. Do yourself a favor and see this movie more than once.

  • 18 out of 30 found this review helpful.
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• Must Go!
  Written September 20, 2008

  If you like the Cohen Brothers then see this movie

  by louischester

  I just finished watching this movie and am sitting here reading the reviews that almost made me not go and laughing. I am not a snob when it comes to movies, but I really don't understand why people don't get this movie. This is a very funny movie. It is not obvious "oh, laugh now because this is where the guy gets it in the crotch" humor, but it is funny, very funny. And although I did find it to be a comedy, I really thought of it more as a satire of and comment on the whole spy thriller genre. I felt that all the heavy handed percussive sound track, goofy intrigue and overly elaborate plot set ups were really just the Cohen brothers laughing along with us as they give us their take on the Hollywood spy thriller.
  If you look at this in the context of the body of their work it fits. It's funny, well crafted, well cast and is a pleasure to watch. I don't think this is their best work to date but it is certainly worth seeing.

  • 9 out of 12 found this review helpful.
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• Oh No!
  Written September 15, 2008

  Don't waist your money!!

  by bythesea857

  It was fun seeing Brad Pitt being a dumb blonde. Other then that I was ready to walk out.

  • 6 out of 7 found this review helpful.
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• Must Go!
  Written September 17, 2008

  Burn After Reading

  by Jobmad55

  This movie was wonderful. The audience I saw it with stood up and applauded (still laughing) at the end. Most of the reviewers didn't seem to get it -- I think because they didn't see how a film could be both serious and comic. This, of course, is the point of satire. Everybody in it was great, including Pitt. I think this is one of those Coen movies, like "The Big Lebowski," that has critics scratching their heads but is eventually regarded as a classic.

  • 7 out of 9 found this review helpful.
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