That’s right, what could be a more appropriate follow up to a somber drama than a goofy CIA slapstick comedy with an all star cast. From a meditation on the pain of death to a movie with throw away gags about burning bodies and comedy sequences involving hatchet beatings. That’s just how the mind of a Coen brother works, I suppose. Burn After Reading looks like vintage Coen comedy material, with black comedy subject matter presented in such a light and airy way that it’s impossible to take too seriously. The cast comprised of Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Francis McDormand, John Malkovich, and Tilda Swinton illustrates just how strong the Coens reputation is that this point, particularly considering the fact that all of them would have to take a substantial pay cut to appear in the movie.

Admittedly, the Coen’s last two attempts at comedy represented their worst movies to date (Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers), but that was also the only time that the Coens ever worked for hire on studio comedies. They were brought on to rewrite and direct existing Hollywood properties in both cases and did not originate the projects themselves. Viewed in that context the movies are a success given that they are dramatically more subversive and distinct than the average studio comedy, but they ultimately didn’t match the level of twisted brilliance that define the Coens’ best work. Burn After Reading looks like an ideal project for the Coen brothers to reclaim their comic voice and should instantly qualify as one of the most highly anticipated comedies of 2008.