Burn After Reading is trending after a rioter at the US Capitol reportedly stole a laptop from Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office earlier this month and tried to sell it to Russia. This attempted act of espionage closely mirrors the plot of the 2008 Coen Brothers film, which follows two dimwitted gym employees (Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt) who comes across a former CIA analyst’s (John Malkovich) misplaced memoirs and mistake them for classified government documents. Just like the rioter at the Capitol, the two attempt to sell to the Russian embassy what they believe to be sensitive government information.
The FBI is currently looking at a Pennsylvania woman, Riley June Williams, as a suspect in the case of the stolen laptop. One witness claims that Williams stole a laptop from Speaker Pelosi’s office and said she intended to sell the computer to a friend in Russia, who will then sell it to Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service. Rather unsurprisingly, the plan fell through for undisclosed reasons. Authorities are still investigating whether Williams still has the computer or destroyed it. In the Coen brothers’ film, Frances McDormand’s character’s efforts resulted in a much different outcome, as she eventually extorts the CIA into paying for the cosmetic surgery she desperately wanted.
After news of the botched espionage attempt broke on Uproxx and other sites, users took to social media to highlight its uncanny similarities to the plot of Burn After Reading. One user joked, “This story is a couple gym nitwits short of a real-life rendition of @CoenBros Burn After Reading.” Like many Coen brothers’ films, Burn After Reading features many quotable lines of dialogue that are resurfacing on Twitter in light of the story. Check out some of the best tweets below:
While often overlooked in the Coen brothers filmography, Burn After Reading is one of their wackiest and funniest comedies next to the cult classic The Big Lebowski. The film also happens to feature an abundance of acting talent, including Oscar winners Frances McDormand, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, J.K. Simmons, and Tilda Swinton. Burn After Reading is streaming on Peacock and is a must-watch for its topicality and pure entertainment factor.
While espionage is a very serious crime, especially when it involves a country that has recently and actively tried to hack the United States’ government, making light of this story can provide some much-needed levity. Similar to the recent Master and Commander situation on social media, this latest example of life imitating art provided an opportune time to discuss an underrated film.
Source: Uproxx