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Product Description

An all-star cast, including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and John Malkovich, come together in this outrageous spy comedy about murder, blackmail, sex addiction and physical fitness! When a disc filled with some of the CIA's most irrelevant secrets gets in the hands of two determined, but dim-witted, gym employees, the duo are intent on exploiting their find. But since blackmail is a trade better left for the experts, events soon spiral out of everyone's and anyone's control, resulting in a non-stop series of hilarious encounters! From Joel and Ethan Coen, the Academy Award®-winning directors of No Country For Old Men and The Big Lebowski, comes this brilliantly clever and endlessly entertaining movie that critics are calling, "smart, funny, and original" (Ben Lyons, E!).

Bonus Content:

Finding the Burn
DC Insiders Run Amuck
Welcome Back, George

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After the dark brilliance of No Country for Old Men, Burn After Reading may seem like a trifle, but few filmmakers elevate the trivial to art quite like Joel and Ethan Coen. Inspired by Stansfield Turner's Burn Before Reading, the comically convoluted plot clicks into gear when the CIA gives analyst Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) the boot. Little does Cox know his wife, Katie (Tilda Swinton, riffing on her Michael Clayton character), is seeing married federal marshal Harry (George Clooney, Swinton's Clayton co-star, playing off his Syriana role). To get back at the Agency, Cox works on his memoirs. Through a twist of fate, fitness club workers Linda (Frances McDormand) and Chad (Brad Pitt in a pompadour that recalls Johnny Suede) find the disc and try to wrangle a "Samaratin tax" out of the surly alcoholic. An avid Internet dater, Linda plans to use the money for plastic surgery, oblivious that her manager, Ted (The Visitor's Richard Jenkins), likes her just the way she is. Though it sounds like a Beltway remake of The Big Lebowski, the Coen entry it most closely resembles, this time the brothers concentrate their energies on the myriad insecurities endemic to the mid-life crisis--with the exception of Chad, who's too dense to share such concerns, leading to the funniest performance of Pitt's career. If Lebowski represented the Coen's unique approach to film noir, Burn sees them putting their irresistibly absurdist stamp on paranoid thrillers from Enemy of the State to The Bourne Identity. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

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Product details

Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.85:1
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.58 x 5.37 x 7.49 inches; 2.4 Ounces
Item model number ‏ : ‎ 025195016490
Director ‏ : ‎ Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, AC-3, Dolby, NTSC, Dubbed, Widescreen, Subtitled, Color
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 36 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ December 21, 2008
Actors ‏ : ‎ George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton
Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ French
Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ French, Spanish
Producers ‏ : ‎ Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Language ‏ : ‎ Unqualified, English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Studio ‏ : ‎ Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B001JIE7JC
Writers ‏ : ‎ Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

Best Sellers Rank: #55,691 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #6,758 in Comedy (Movies & TV)

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4.2 3,854 ratings

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M. Schild

A very funny film

Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2023

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Although this is a Coen brothers film it is much lighter than most of the others, and less violent. The plot is ridiculous, but it works. The acting and directing are really spot on. Brad Pitt plays a stupid gym instructor and is hilarious. I really loved it.

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Gregor von Kallahann

Right, Right, Naysayers, We Get It! Now please, No More "Burn BEFORE Viewing" Jokes

Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2009

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The reviews have been mixed, and I'm not at all surprised. BURN AFTER READING won't be everybody's cup of Gatorade, but if you're one of the many naysayers who claim to find the film a major letdown after last year's officially designated Best Pic NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, well, let me just say, I do understand your point. But has it occurred to you that maybe you're less of a COEN BROS. fan and more of a CORMAC McCARTHY fan?

Yes, yes, I know that NO COUNTRY was supposed to be a case of the source material (the McCarthy novel of the same name) being the perfect fit for our two most idiosyncratic filmmakers, and in many ways, it was just that. But there was one significant difference, in my book anyway. And that was the person(?) of Anton Chigurh himself. We all know by now that Chigurh is quite simply the personification of implacable evil, less of human being than a force of supernature. And like a malevolent phoenix, he rises from the ashes more than once. One thing he's NOT is a bumbler. In that, he differs from just about every other Coen "bad guy," or for that matter, just about every other major Coen character.

Heck, even the seemingly invincible biker dude in RAISING ARIZONA turned out to be Wile E. Coyote in the end.

I know the Brothers don't particularly like to be intellectualized about, but if there's one common theme uniting all their work, it's probably that the entire human race is the Gang That Could't Shoot Straight. In the Coen's universe, we're all bad comic actors strutting and fretting for about 90 minutes on atarnished silver screen. Good guys or bad, small or mighty, it don't make no never mind. Usually, just like in real life, the misterioso elements that do occur (a cow on a barn, say) are just enough for us fools to scratch and wonder if just maybe there aren't more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt in our philosophy...OR our cinema. Or my name isn't Horatio!

If you keep the Coens' basic worldview in mind, you just may find that BURN AFTER READING is a near perfect expression of same. This is an absurd world where EVERYBODY is out of their league. And they've all watched too many spy movies. Even the spies--who really should know better. When John Malkovich--being the quintessential John Malkovich here--rails at Brad Pitt's buffoonish would-be blackmailer/"Good Samaritan" and tells him that he (Pitt) has no idea what he's up against, he's so into his espionage mode that you might forget for a second that he's just a (fired) CIA analyst penning what appears to be a not very revealing tell-all. In other words, this is not "spy vs. spy." It's "schlub vs. schlub."

And you gotta love that. Or at least I do. You can do what you want.

12 people found this helpful

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DJ

Hilarious and smart. Different.

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2023

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Love love love this movie... it's smartly written. Brad Pitt is hilarious in this movie. It takes you on this weird journey with characters that are a little different. Don't want to give it away. Moves right along. You do have to pay attention though to get the humor in it.

3 people found this helpful

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JP

Great movie! Plain and simple

Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2023

Funny! And exciting!

My third or fourth viewing

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2023

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This is a great movie about human vanity and our obliviousness to our own blindspots. People go around overestimating their own intelligence while they self-sabotage their lives and selfishly cause harm to the people around them. The absurdity of it all keeps things from turning too bleak to be enjoyable. The characters are over the top but believable and definitely remind of people I’ve met.

I’ve seen some of the negative reviews, so I’ll just say that if you’re purely looking for a fun and entertaining movie, this might not be the one for you. I think it is a fun and entertaining movie, but what makes it work is the way it explores the tragic stupidity of the choices people can’t seem to stop themselves from making. If you’re the existential type who is interested in reflecting upon the human experience, then I definitely recommend this movie.

3 people found this helpful

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Daniel C. Cunningham

Burm before viewing

Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2015

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After viewing "O Brother, where art thou?," which I was intending to rate as a 1-star - no redeeming qualities - I watched "Burn....," with expectations of getting my money's worth this time. Both movies featured George Clooney, but "Burn" also included several top - or, recognizable - actors. There was Brad Pitt, playing a clueless, doofy fitness instructor who gets himself punched in the nose by John Malkovitch when he tries to be cool and get some reward money out of the ex-CIA agent for returning some secret classified information on a disc; and Malkovitch, as a burned-out agent who may or may not a drinking issue and who does nothing but rant and spew out obvious, simple lines, e.g. "what the fuck are you talking about?" and "You have no idea what you are fucking with ... this is way over your head," and that last clause he stole from a Jason Bourne movie that was in a class way above this one.

Then there is the head of the CIA, a man whose name escapes me, but who has been in many spy movies. He represents what? the sanity factor in a nutty movie. He is where the buck stops. He is the guy that M.'s supervisor comes to with the latest reports of the nutty characters have done - smashed cars, talked to Russians, murdered each other and fucked each other - to which he invariably replies with the voice of reason: "No, fuck 'em",....."Pay her,"....,or, "Let him stay in the coma; if he comes out of it we will deal it then.." and "Burn the body," Such decisive and to-the-point orders, delivered in his deep, confident voice reasure us that our nation's security is in good hands.

And there is the boss of the fitness gym, a sensitive and careing man, though not particularly strong, who played the hapless lawyer against Clooney in "Intolerable cruelty," a much funnier, class movie, that starred, Catherine Zeta-Jones, a class act herself. This time he is a hapless back-stop to the clueless blonde and simple Brad.

And the women. No-name, unattractive sluts. Compare this to "Intolerable...", where you had the pretty bimbo's as a sort of setting to showcase Zeta-Jpnes' dreamy, smooth, sexy, poised..... words fail me. These broads are all cuckolding married men on the side. Clooney's character's old lady's only redeeming quality is that she can swear - using American idiom - with a British accent: "...get the fuck dressed...what the fuckk..." None of them are memorable - none of them would I go out with on a second date.

If the movei were funny, or dramatic, or had a point, or showed some consistency, or... they routinely kill people with such indifference - Brad Pitt gets shot by Clooney - in almost an accident - it happened so fast - and then Clooney runs away - which I can relate to as he is just an ordinary guy who who was surprised to find a man luking in the bedroom closet of his whore's apt. - so why was there a bucket of blood all over the closet - from a clean shot through the head??? Who did the screen-writng here? The fitness center boss gets confronted in Malkovitch's whore's home, by Malkovitch, wearing a bathrobe, with a drink in one hand and a generic automatic in the other. He shows some character by not begging for his life and by telling the truth when Malkovitch babblingly accuses him of being his woman's lover, of working for one or more of the spy organizatons, of being one of the idiots that have been fucking up Malkovitch's life forever. He just calmly denies the accusations and explains that he is tryng to help his people: Brad Pitt, and the inept, goofy blonde. And so M. shoots him. Casually. In the chest. With what? a 9mm.? So then he recovers and attacks M. with a piece of hardware and sprints up the stairs and out to the street? Say what? With a hole through his lung? So M., in his rage hacks the man to pieces with a hatchet. O.K.!

And I don't appreciate the wild driving and smashing unoffending cars up either.

IS there some message here? That our brave, dedicated men and women in positions of national security are just ordinary humans? Actually they are trash. This is a spy spoof, O.K., but it missed the mark - good actors in silly roles with bad dialogue, incoherent plot.

In the end this Burn was not as awful as "O Brother..." which was an attempt at a slap-stick comedy, a parody of Southern culture.. or something? If there was a plot I missed it - but - you are wondering why I sat throught the movie if it was so bad? - I kept skipping ahead to get to the good part.

Great actors in a bad movie with childish script.. it doesn't do it for me.

4 people found this helpful

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Hilarious

Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2023

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Are you ready for a good laugh? This movie is hilarious.

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Kindle Customer Rebecca

DVD needed a special player, which I do have

Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2023

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It was boring , couldn’t watch it all the way through, someone mentioned a $ex bed that was in the movie but I must had missed it.
Only reason I bought the movie for.

One person found this helpful

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XTinaS

Used But In Flawless Condition

Reviewed in Canada on January 15, 2022

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It's hard to imagine that something could spiral so out of control... Great acting by a superb cast. A lot of big names in this film. So funny and shocking and entertaining. Really love this one. If you've never seen it, you're definitely missing out.
Bought this used, and it played without issue. Shipping, however, was as slow as molasses!

One person found this helpful

Manuela Tomasi

Burn after reading

Reviewed in Italy on May 13, 2020

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Un film talmente strampalato che non può non piacere! Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances Mc Dormand e gli altri sono straordinari, a riprova, ancora una volta, che quando la regia ,qui parliamo dei fratelli Cohen, riesce a comunicare chiaramente quale storia vuole raccontare, anche se si tratta, come in questo caso,di gente fuori di testa, ma, così "normali" ricchi, ben inseriti nella società, ne viene fuori non solo un film, ma, una specie di trattato sugli USA che ha il raro dono di divertire senza superficialità,di critica feroce senza ideologismo

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Viajero

Buena película

Reviewed in Spain on March 19, 2017

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Es una buena película,con excelentes actores e interesante historia.A pesar de no ser una comedia propiamente,yo me he reído mucho con los personajes que aparecen en ella.
En el aspecto técnico,contento también;nada que reprochar.

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TomBZH

Burn after Reading

Reviewed in France on November 22, 2014

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Excellent !!!

Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) est un analyste à la CIA en difficulté professionnelle en raison de problèmes liés à un alcoolisme inavoué. Obligé de démissionner de l'agence de renseignements, il décide de rédiger ses mémoires.

Sa femme Katie, stricte et s'adonnant peu à la compassion, a une liaison avec Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), lui-même marié et tiraillé entre Katie et son épouse Sandy. En raison de sa liaison et de l'affaiblissement de son mari qu'elle commence à mépriser, Katie envisage sérieusement de demander le divorce. Sur les conseils de son avocat qui pense qu'Osbourne Cox est un « dissimulateur patenté », elle procède, sur un CD, à la copie d'archives financières et d'autres fichiers trouvés sur l'ordinateur de son époux. Ce CD contient aussi les débuts des mémoires d'Osbourne.

Quand Katie oublie par mégarde le CD dans sa salle de gym, le disque tombe entre les mains de Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), qui s'en ouvre à sa collègue de travail Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand). Cette dernière vit la crise de la quarantaine et vit mal son célibat. Elle est inscrite sur un site internet de rencontres. N'aimant pas son physique, elle aimerait se payer une opération de chirurgie esthétique, mais ne ne voit pas que son patron, Ted Treffon, est secrètement amoureux d'elle.

Chad ouvre les fichiers du CD, croit qu'il s'agit de renseignements ultra-secrets, et découvre l'identité d'Osbourne. Avec Linda, ils envisagent de restituer le CD à condition qu'Osbourne leur verse une récompense de 50 000 dollars.

Les deux complices contactent Osbourne par téléphone ; l'entretien se passe mal. Une rencontre physique est organisée, mais la rencontre se déroule encore plus mal : Osbourne, qui n'a pas 50 000 dollars, menace Chad et le frappe au nez.

Linda et Chad décident alors de contacter l'ambassade de Russie pour vendre les « informations du CD ». Ils proposent au résident du KGB d'autres informations qui ne se trouvent pas dans le CD. Ne disposant pas de ces informations, ils décident alors de cambrioler la maison d'Osbourne afin de trouver d'autres fichiers secrets.

Pendant ce temps, Osbourne dérape complètement à la suite de sa rencontre avec Chad et Linda. Il atteint le fond quand il apprend que Katie a décidé d'engager une procédure de divorce. Katie ayant changé la serrure de la maison, Osbourne doit dormir dans son petit bateau amarré au port. Tandis que l'époux est au bateau, Katie invite son amant Harry Pfarrer à venir la rejoindre : en effet l'épouse d'Harry, Sandy, est partie trois jours en Asie pour une tournée promotionnelle d'un album de bande dessinée. On apprend que Harry Pfarrer est un fonctionnaire fédéral très porté sur le sexe, et qui porte en permanence un pistolet automatique (il le mentionne souvent, tout en ajoutant qu'il n'a pas tiré un coup en 20 ans).

Harry rencontre Linda lors d'une rencontre par internet et engage une liaison avec elle. Lorsque Katie lui demande de quitter son épouse, Harry, sur la sellette, tiraillé entre Katie, Sandy et Linda, est très ennuyé.

Chad a suivi Katie, qui s'est rendue chez Harry. Chad croit donc que la maison d'Harry est celle d'Osbourne et se met à la cambrioler. Harry, rentrant inopinément chez lui, découvre Chad qui s'est caché dans l'armoire à vêtements. Dans un mouvement instinctif, il prend son arme et tue Chad.

Palmer Smith, l'ancien supérieur d'Osbourne, est informé par le KGB de la tentative de chantage maladroite de Chad et Linda, et fait le lien avec Osbourne. Il décide de placer Linda sous surveillance.

Harry, stressé par le fait qu'il a abattu un homme inconnu et par sa liaison tendue avec Katie, prend un prétexte pour quitter Katie. Peu après, il aperçoit un homme qui le suit : il s'agit d'un salarié d'une agence de détective, chargée par son épouse de rechercher la preuve d'un adultère. Il reprend contact avec Linda, laquelle lui fait part de son stress lié à la disparition inquiétante de Chad (Harry ignore que l'homme qu'il a abattu est Chad).

Le lendemain, Harry et Linda se revoient au parc public. Linda donne des précisions sur Chad et lui donne l’adresse où s'était rendu son collègue. Découvrant qu'il s'agit de son adresse personnelle et que Chad est l'homme qu'il a abattu, Harry panique et s'enfuit en hurlant, pensant que Linda est une espionne.

Linda en pleurs retourne chez son patron Ted Treffon. Croyant que les Russes ont kidnappé Chad, Ted accepte d'aller au domicile d'Osbourne Cox pour faire des recherches dans l'ordinateur de celui-ci. Pendant ce temps, sur son bateau, Osbourne découvre que Katie a vidé tous ses comptes bancaires. De rage, et n'ayant plus les clefs de la maison conjugale, il s'empare d'une hache pour y pénétrer. Là il rencontre Ted Treffon au sous-sol, et le prenant pour l'amant de sa femme, lui tire dessus. Blessé, Ted parvient à s'enfuir et sort de la maison, mais est rejoint par Osbourne qui s'acharne sur lui.

Quelques jours plus tard, au siège de la CIA, on fait le point. Harry a été pris alors qu'il tentait de prendre un vol pour le Venezuela et placé en garde-à-vue. On va le relâcher car il n'est pas soupçonné d'avoir fait quoi de que soit de répréhensible. Linda, pour sa part, promet de tout dire ainsi que son silence ultérieur si on lui paie une opération de chirurgie esthétique. Osbourne Cox, pendant qu'il frappait Ted dans la rue, a été grièvement blessé par un agent de la CIA qui le prenait en filature ; il est maintenant dans le coma. La conclusion de la discussion entre les deux officiers de la CIA est qu'ils n'ont pas tout compris à cette affaire, qui reste plutôt mystérieuse.

2 people found this helpful

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nicki s.

Lacher garantiert

Reviewed in Germany on December 23, 2023

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Der Film ist äußerst amüsant, ich habe viel gelacht. Tolle Schauspieler, die die Rollen perfekt ausgefüllt haben. Sehr zu empfehlen, wenn man diese Art von Humor liebt.

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Genre	Comedy, Art House & International
Format	Multiple Formats, AC-3, Dolby, NTSC, Dubbed, Widescreen, Subtitled, Color
Contributor	Brad Pitt, David Rasche, Ethan Coen, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Joel Coen, Richard Jenkins, George Clooney, J.K. Simmons, Elizabeth Marvel, Frances McDormand See more
Language	English, French
Runtime	1 hour and 36 minutes

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Burn After Reading

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