The Burning Plain

R

Released Sep 18, 2009

1h 46m

Drama

List

38%

Tomatometer

80 Reviews

56%

Audience Score

5,000+ Ratings

In the present, Sylvia (Charlize Theron) appears to lead a confident life as a restaurant manager but she cleverly hides her promiscuity, self-mutilation, and suicidal impulses. In the past a young girl named Mariana (Jennifer Lawrence) tries to figure out why her mother (Kim Basinger) began an affair as she enters into a relationship with the son of her mother's lover. The threads of these dysfunctional lives are increasingly tied into a potent knot.

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Critics Consensus

This heavily symbolic, melodramatic multi-narrative drama lacks emotional resonance.

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Melissa Anderson

Film Comment Magazine

What's that smell? The plain isn't the only thing that's charred in screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga's directorial debut; subtlety goes up in flames too.

Nov 17, 2013

Full Review

Perri Nemiroff

CinemaBlend

Arriaga's multi-narrative format got the best of him. Rather than deliver a sense of shock and awe, it's swallowed up by complexity, leaving you to wonder, "This is it?"

Rated: 3/5

Aug 12, 2010

Full Review

David Stratton

The Australian

When so many cinema releases are instantly forgettable, The Burning Plain clings to the memory...

Rated: 4/4

Apr 26, 2010

Full Review

Jason Best

Movie Talk

The Burning Plain has individual scenes that are powerful and moving, but in the end the whole is considerably less than the sum of its parts.

Nov 21, 2020

Full Review

Debbie Lynn Elias

Behind The Lens

A calculated intensity. High polish. Exquisite cinematography. An interesting story with an extremely well done interlacing of "chapters" and characters.

Nov 7, 2019

Full Review

Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

Both uninspired and languorous, a bland and anonymous concoction.

Rated: 2/4

Aug 5, 2019

Full Review

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Erin R

I love this movie. It's heavy and evocative, but the three main storylines build and coalesce in a rich and unpredictable way, and the acting is excellent. It's a remarkable movie when you see tragedies unfold, but you have empathy for everyone.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/25/23

Full Review

Linda i

Very hard to follow but dysfunctional from the description of the movie pretty much covers every aspect. It takes too much time to figure out who is who and who is screwing who. Great cast but not impressed with the screenplay.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/01/23

Full Review

osvaldo v

Nice story and solid acting, especially by the leading ladies. The non linear, shuffle directing style requires some patience but it's quite easy to follow the story. Overall I'd recommend it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

steve d

Melodramatic but effective.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Il racconto su più linee temporali di un personaggio rotto, a causa di un trauma da lui stesso procurato; riesce in parte a scorrere soprattutto quando arrivano quegli avvenimenti che ne modificano la trama, mentre è molto meno riuscito quando sono i dialoghi a farla da padrona. Si ha la costante sensazione però che tutti i personaggi siano intrappolati in una realtà che non li soddisfa, stretti dall'apatia della quotidianità non riescono a modificare in nessun modo il loro modo di essere. Non noioso ma nemmeno entusiasmante, questo dramma troppo spesso si adagia sull'espressività delle sue protagoniste femminili che ne elevano le interpretazioni ma che abbassano il ritmo oltremodo.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Spencer D

Enjoyed watching these performances in this non-linear character-driven story.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/21/22

Full Review

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Guillermo Arriaga

Director

Charlize Theron

Sylvia

Kim Basinger

Gina

Jennifer Lawrence

Mariana

Joaquim de Almeida

Nick Martinez

John Corbett

John

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Synopsis

In the present, Sylvia (Charlize Theron) appears to lead a confident life as a restaurant manager but she cleverly hides her promiscuity, self-mutilation, and suicidal impulses. In the past a young girl named Mariana (Jennifer Lawrence) tries to figure out why her mother (Kim Basinger) began an affair as she enters into a relationship with the son of her mother's lover. The threads of these dysfunctional lives are increasingly tied into a potent knot.

Director: Guillermo Arriaga
Producer: Walter F. Parkes, Laurie MacDonald
Screenwriter: Guillermo Arriaga
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Parkes/MacDonald
Rating: R (Nudity|Language|Sexuality)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 18, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 13, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $200.4K
Runtime: 1h 46m

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