Burn After Reading, released in theaters on September 12, 2008, is a hilarious and cynical black comedy from the Coen Brothers. Unlike their more overtly serious films, this one dives headfirst into the world of government ineptitude and human folly, creating a tangled web of misunderstandings and escalating violence.
The film’s legacy lies in its brilliantly satirical tone and its star-studded cast playing gloriously against type. It’s a sharp, witty take on the spy genre, where everyone is a clueless pawn in a game they don’t understand.
The plot kicks off when CIA analyst Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich), a hot-tempered alcoholic, is demoted and quits in a rage to write his memoirs. His wife, Katie (Tilda Swinton), an icy pediatrician who is secretly having an affair with a philandering U.S. Marshal named Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), copies a disk of his financial records.
By pure chance, the disk falls into the hands of two dim-witted gym employees, Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) and Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt).
Believing the disk contains top-secret CIA intelligence, they see it as their ticket to a new life and try to blackmail Cox.
This simple mistake triggers a chain of events involving botched negotiations, accidental deaths, and a deeply confused CIA supervisor (J.K. Simmons), all while the various characters pursue their own selfish, misguided goals.
The film is a masterclass in ensemble acting, with each star delivering a memorable and often comically pathetic performance.
Pitt, in particular, is a standout as the blissfully naive Chad, while McDormand grounds the film with her desperate ambition.
Clooney is at his best as the paranoid and neurotic Harry, and Swinton delivers an icily hilarious performance.
Malkovich’s explosive portrayal of Osbourne Cox is both terrifying and pathetic, perfectly capturing the character’s downward spiral.
Richard Jenkins provides a dose of understated melancholy as Linda’s loyal friend, Ted.
The film was written, produced, edited and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.
Brad Pitt in Burn After Reading (Photo/Focus Features)
Reception for Burn After Reading
Burn After Reading grossed $19.1 million on its opening weekend, finishing No. 1 at the box office.
The film would gross $163.7 million worldwide.
Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars in his review.
Legacy
Burn After Reading‘s legacy lies in its brilliantly satirical tone and its star-studded cast playing gloriously against type.
The film’s dark humor and relentless absurdity make it a unique entry in the Coen Brothers’ filmography and is a testament to their skill that they can craft a story where everyone is a loser, and it’s still so entertaining to watch.
