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Burn After Reading

From Alfawiki
Burn After Reading
Company typeFilm
IndustryMotion picture
Founded2008; 18 years ago (2008)
FounderJoel Coen, Ethan Coen
ProductsDark comedy film

Burn After Reading is a 2008 dark comedy film crafted by the Joel and Ethan Coen, who also took on roles as writers, producers, editors, and directors. The story centers on Osborne Cox (John Malkovich), a former CIA analyst recently dismissed from his position, whose misplaced memoirs are discovered by two unintelligent gym workers (Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt). Believing the documents to be classified intelligence, they embark on a misguided scheme to exploit the information for financial gain. The ensemble cast features George Clooney portraying a womanizing U.S. Marshal; Tilda Swinton as Katie Cox, Osborne’s estranged wife; Richard Jenkins in the role of the gym’s manager; and J. K. Simmons as a CIA supervisor.

The movie debuted on August 27, 2008, at the Venice Film Festival, followed by theatrical releases in the United States on September 12 and in the United Kingdom on October 17. With a production budget of $37 million, it achieved global box office earnings exceeding $163 million. Critical reception was generally favorable, and the film secured nominations at both the Golden Globes and the British Academy Film Awards.

Plot

Osborne Cox, a CIA analyst facing demotion due to alcoholism, resigns and begins composing a memoir. Meanwhile, his wife Katie secretly initiates divorce proceedings while maintaining an affair with Harry Pfarrer, a paranoid U.S. Marshal. Katie’s attorney accidentally provides Osborne’s digital financial records along with a draft of his memoir on a CD-R, which is misplaced at a gym and subsequently found by personal trainer Chad Feldheimer and colleague Linda Litzke. Misinterpreting the disc as containing sensitive government secrets, they devise a plan to return it for a reward to finance Linda’s cosmetic surgery.

Their attempt at blackmail fails, provoking Osborne’s anger. Chad and Linda then attempt to sell the disc to the Russian embassy, drawing CIA attention through an internal mole. Osborne’s unpredictable conduct prompts Katie to change their home locks and invite Harry to move in. Harry, known for his infidelities, later initiates contact with Linda through an online dating platform.

Following Linda’s persuasion, Chad breaks into Osborne’s residence seeking additional documents. During this intrusion, Harry kills Chad but suspects him of being a government agent due to missing identification. CIA officials discover that the Russians received worthless information and order that Chad’s death be concealed to prevent FBI involvement.

Unaware that he caused Chad’s death, Harry agrees to assist Linda in locating Chad while being followed by Katie’s divorce attorney. Linda suspects Russian abduction but is dismissed; she recruits gym manager Ted to retrieve more files from Osborne’s home. After learning Chad’s last whereabouts from Linda, Harry realizes he shot Chad and flees, suspecting Linda may be an intelligence operative.

Osborne invades Katie’s residence wielding a hatchet, encounters Ted in the basement, shoots him, then finishes him off with the hatchet outside. CIA agents intervene and shoot Osborne into a coma. Attempting to escape to Venezuela, Harry is detained but later released under orders from his superior. Linda is captured and agrees to remain silent in exchange for funding her plastic surgery. The superior closes the investigation, perplexed by the convoluted series of events.

Cast

Background and writing

The film Burn After Reading was produced by Working Title Films for Focus Features, which managed its global distribution. This project marked the Coen brothers' first collaboration without cinematographer Roger Deakins since Miller's Crossing, with four-time Oscar nominee Emmanuel Lubezki stepping in as director of photography. The costumes were designed by Mary Zophres, continuing her longstanding partnership with the Coens. The musical score, created by frequent collaborator Carter Burwell, featured a prominently percussive sound incorporating Japanese Taiko drums to enhance the film’s atmosphere.

The screenplay represented the Coen brothers’ first original script since 2001’s The Man Who Wasn't There. Ethan Coen described it as their interpretation of a political thriller reminiscent of Advise and Consent, merging espionage themes with deep character exploration. Joel Coen emphasized their goal to approach the spy genre without relying on conventional action sequences, focusing instead on character development, and clarified that the film was not intended as a satire of Washington politics.

Development of parts of the screenplay overlapped with their adaptation of No Country for Old Men. The Coens crafted roles specifically for actors George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, and Richard Jenkins, aiming to assemble an entertaining narrative with this ensemble cast. Ethan Coen noted that Pitt’s character was inspired by a failed hair-dye commercial. Tilda Swinton joined the cast later; her role was not initially conceived for her. Managing schedules among such high-profile actors proved challenging.

Despite early reports from Production Weekly, the film does not draw from former CIA Director Stansfield Turner's memoir titled Burn Before Reading. This misconception was only corrected following a Los Angeles Times article more than a year after production began.

Filming

Principal photography took place primarily in Brooklyn Heights, complemented by scenes shot in Paramus, New Jersey, Westchester County, New York, and Georgetown, Washington, D.C.. Filming spanned from August 27 to October 30, 2007. John Malkovich, in his inaugural collaboration with the Coen brothers, praised their intelligent and precise yet non-restrictive directing style.

Festival run and press tour

The movie debuted at the Venice Film Festival in August 2008.

Central to the Coens’ vision was portraying foolishness; Joel described Clooney and Pitt’s characters as "competing idiots." This project marked Clooney’s third time working with the Coens (following O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Intolerable Cruelty), who humorously dubbed his roles in their films a "trilogy of idiots." Joel joked that after filming wrapped, Clooney declared he was finished playing such foolish characters.

Brad Pitt’s role was deliberately portrayed as lacking intelligence; he admitted mixed feelings about embodying such a character but found reassurance through Joel Coen’s guidance.

Entertainment Weekly singled out Malkovich for delivering some of the film’s most humorous moments as the foul-mouthed ex-CIA operative. Due to scheduling conflicts, Malkovich recorded an important scene remotely from Paris. Tilda Swinton played his wife, who is involved in an affair with Clooney’s character; their onscreen relationship echoed tensions from their previous work together on Michael Clayton.

Swinton described the film as "a kind of monster caper," where every character is flawed or even monstrous, blending dark themes with humor. Malkovich characterized the ensemble as emotionally or mentally unstable schemers. Pitt noted that improvisation was limited because of the tightly structured script. Richard Jenkins was asked to lose weight for his role as a gym manager but declined due to age considerations.

Joel Coen revealed that Clooney’s sex machine prop drew inspiration from devices constructed by a key grip and displayed at New York’s Museum of Sex.

Home media

Burn After Reading became available on Region 1 DVD and Blu-ray disc on December 21, 2008, with the Region 2 release arriving on February 9, 2009. The Blu-ray edition features three supplementary materials, including behind-the-scenes content and interviews with the cast and crew.

Box office

Upon its release, the film opened at the top spot in theaters across the U.S. and Canada, generating $19.1 million from 2,651 venues during its initial weekend. It went on to accumulate $60.4 million domestically and $103.4 million internationally, resulting in a global total of $163.7 million.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, Burn After Reading holds a 78% approval rating based on 248 critiques, with an average score of 6.90/10. The general consensus commends it as an intelligent comedy-thriller featuring distinctive characters. Metacritic assigned the film a score of 63 out of 100, reflecting generally positive feedback.

The Times awarded the film four stars out of five, likening it to previous Coen brothers' works for its sharp comedic violence and meticulous detail, while also praising Carter Burwell's suspenseful musical score. The Guardian's Andrew Pulver gave it four stars as well, describing it as a tightly woven spy comedy and the Coens' most optimistic Hollywood project.

The Hollywood Reporter highlighted the cast’s self-referential humor and characterized the movie as an anti-spy thriller laden with subversive wit. In contrast, Variety critiqued the film’s inconsistent tone and overpowering score, while Time found its humor difficult to grasp and its mood detached.

While The New Yorker acknowledged moments of humor, it criticized the film’s bleak storyline and harsh atmosphere, suggesting that a lack of empathy detracted from its black comedic intent. People remarked on the characters’ continual foolishness but commended standout performances, particularly Brad Pitt’s subtle acting.

French newspaper Le Monde interpreted the film as a scathing commentary on American political ineptitude and superficiality. Nearly ten years later, senior editor Jeet Heer of The New Republic regarded the movie as prophetic of the Trump era, emphasizing its satire of deception and the blurred boundary between incompetence and conspiracy in contemporary America.

In July 2025, Burn After Reading was ranked number 276 on The New York Times "Readers' Choice" list featuring "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century."

Accolades

The National Board of Review recognized Burn After Reading among its Top 10 Films of 2008. Noel Murray from The A.V. Club placed it as the second-best movie of that year, while Empire ranked it third, and Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly positioned it seventh.

Award Date Category Recipient(s) Result
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards January 27, 2009 Best Actress Frances McDormand Template:Nom
Best Supporting Actor John Malkovich Template:Nom
Best Screenwriter Joel Coen and Ethan Coen Template:Nom
Art Directors Guild Awards February 14, 2009 Excellence in Production Design for a Contemporary Film Jess Gonchor Template:Nom
Artios Awards November 2, 2009 Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Big Budget Feature – Comedy Ellen Chenoweth Template:Nom
British Academy Film Awards February 8, 2009 Best Original Screenplay Joel Coen and Ethan Coen Template:Nom
Best Supporting Actor Brad Pitt Template:Nom
Best Supporting Actress Tilda Swinton Template:Nom
Critics' Choice Awards January 8, 2009 Best Comedy Burn After Reading Template:Nom
Detroit Film Critics Society 2008 Best Cast Burn After Reading Template:Nom
Edgar Awards April 30, 2009 Best Motion Picture Screenplay Joel Coen and Ethan Coen Template:Nom
Empire Awards March 29, 2009 Best Comedy Burn After Reading Template:Nom
Golden Globe Awards January 11, 2009 Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy Burn After Reading Template:Nom
Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy Frances McDormand Template:Nom
Houston Film Critics Society December 17, 2008 Best Actor in a Supporting Role Brad Pitt Template:Nom
IndieWire Critics Poll December 24, 2008 Best Screenplay Joel Coen and Ethan Coen Template:Draw
International Film Music Critics Association Awards February 18, 2009 Best Original Score for a Comedy Film Carter Burwell Template:Won
National Board of Review Awards January 14, 2009 Top Ten Films "Burn After Reading" "Template:Won"
Russian Guild of Film Critics "December 25, 2008" "Best Foreign Film" "Burn After Reading" "Template:Nom"
Russian National Movie Awards "2009" "Best Independent Movie" "Burn After Reading" "Template:Nom"
St. Louis Film Critics Association "December 2008" "Best Comedy" "Burn After Reading" "Template:Won"
"World Soundtrack Awards" "October 17, 2009" "Best Original Score of the Year" "Carter Burwell" "Template:Nom"
"Film Composer of the Year" "Carter Burwell" "Template:Nom"
Writers Guild of America Awards "February 7, 2009" "Best Original Screenplay" "Joel Coen and Ethan Coen" "Template:Nom"


See also

External links

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