"I feel like the carpet's been yanked out from under me."...( read more)ultiple well-earned Oscars) immediately followed by the box office triumph of Burn After Reading, they've created one of their most befuddling pictures to date. 2009's A Serious Man is a Coen-esque, oddball mixture of black humour and dramatic pathos told from a profoundly Jewish perspective, which simultaneously highlights the film's deep Old Testament roots and offers a unique cultural backdrop rarely seen in Hollywood films. Many critics have highlighted the ostensibly personal nature of A Serious Man, but the Coens (who aren't devout Jews by any means) seem to have just once again selected a specific area of American culture and skewered it to death - and for this venture it just happens to hit a little closer to home.
One thing's for certain: no-one could ever accuse Joel and Ethan Coen of selling out. After the duo achieved perhaps their greatest critical success with No Country for Old Men (for which they collected m
A Serious Man is essentially a contemporary re-enactment of the Book of Job which transpires in suburban Minnesota during the late 1960s. Physics professor Larry Gopnik (Stuhlbarg) is married, has kids, and holds down a good job, but he becomes trapped in misery: he's up for tenure but anonymous letters are being submitted urging the committee to deny him, his wife is leaving him for a mutual friend (for vague reasons), a frantic Korean student is trying to bribe his way out of a failing grade (then tries to blackmail him for supposedly accepting the bribe), his brother is lost in depression, and his offspring are predominantly disinterested in him (the only thing his son wants is for Larry to fix the TV aerial so that he can watch F-Troop clearly). As the strands of his life begin to unravel, Larry is left to question whether he's been a good man or a serious man, and whether God is even paying attention.
What Larry is unable to understand is why God would force someone who follows all the rules of decency to suffer so much while others seem to get away with anything they want. The Coens present Larry's dilemma without offering any solutions; suggesting that when life gets tough, one has little recourse but to stand firm and take it. Moreover, Larry seeks an answer to explain the troubles suddenly befalling his life by visiting several rabbis. In every case, however, they merely speak in aphorisms and metaphors, and generally beat around the issue without every getting to the heart of it. And this is precisely the point, of course - the Coens don't shy away from the interpretation that it may all mean nothing. The answer Larry seeks is nonexistent because to answer the question of human suffering would be to forever close the gap between humankind and the eternal. It's due to this that the best answer he receives is one he never recognises as such: "Accept mystery". Perhaps if Larry had heard the Hebrew proverb that prefaces the film - "Accept with simplicity everything that happens to you" - the words might have given him solace in his time of need.
An ode to Midwestern Judaism and the havoc of guilt, the Coen Brothers have woven together a truly masterful tapestry of neuroses and personal damage, intercut with enough black humour to alleviate the pervasive dread. By this stage in their career, Joel & Ethan Coen have perfected the art of quirkiness without contrivance. For each new film, they construct their own bizarre universe governed by chance and indifference to the well-being of its inhabitants, while the characters that are subjected to the whims of this dimension are charged with finding a way through it. Like most Coen productions, A Serious Man is inscrutable and challenging, which is most evident during the opening scene: a parable entirely in Yiddish about a husband who invites over to dinner a man who may or may not be a ghost. This parable's relation to the main story is tenuous, but it acts as a nice introduction to this world.
The direction by the Coens is pitch-perfect - it transforms material which could have easily been painful in the hands of others into a hilariously discomforting and mordant comedy. A Serious Man also benefits from remarkable performances from the mostly unknown cast (this is not the type of film that would benefit from the presence of George Clooney). Due to stage actor Michael Stuhlbarg's big-screen anonymity, a viewer can concentrate entirely on the character rather than the actor, and the result is a sensitive, riveting performance. Alongside Stuhlbarg, Fred Melamed is particularly hysterical; he plays a man who cuckolds Larry, and insists on making it up to him with a bottle of wine that he uses as a metaphor for justifying his behaviour. If there's a flaw with A Serious Man, it's the inclusion of oddball divergences that don't have a compelling reason to exist...other than self-indulgence.
Each Coen Brothers production has an immediate, distinct and memorable visual impact (from the snowscape of Fargo to the scorching desert of No Country for Old Men), and this is unchanged here. Technically and artistically, A Serious Man is pure class; capturing the mid-Western Jewish enclave of the '60s with realistic period recreation and comic exaggeration. The neighbourhood in which Larry resides is an immaculate evocation of the suburban neighbourhoods that existed across America in the '50s and '60s (with the widely separated, flattened houses, narrow driveways, and treeless yards). Roger Deakins' exceptional cinematography brings out the right notes of alienation from the expanses of blue-sky suburbia, while further menace is added by Carter Burwell's score and the ominous sound design. That this technical excellence was achieved on a $7 million budget is a miracle.
While A Serious Man is very funny, it's far removed from mainstream cinema, and wouldn't have had a chance in hell of getting made without the Coen Brothers having earned the right. This is largely because the ending (like the beginning) feels random and unsettling; playing out like a spiteful poke in the eye to those who disliked the ambiguity of the final scene of No Country for Old Men. The ending may not bode well for reliable box office, but it stays true to the film's overall tone; reminding viewers that the journey doesn't end just because things are starting to look up. One of the primary themes the film tackles is the randomness of existence and the futility of figuring everything out through mathematical formulas, thus the apparent abruptness of the ending appears to highlight this theme. It also allows plenty of latitude for interpretation. A Serious Man is cinema at its best, leaving your mind in motion long after the credits have rolled.
A Serious Man manages to be at once laugh-out-loud funny and deeply serious. It's also simultaneously troubling and satisfying, warm and bleak, and respectful of its Jewish heritage while mocking its restrictions and false comforts. This is undoubtedly one of the best films the Coens have made to date, and it reconfirms that they are among the most daring and audacious filmmakers currently working in the movie industry, though it's doubtful this film will catch on with a mass audience.
A Serious Man Reviews and Ratings
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December 21, 2009"I feel like the carpet's been yanked out from under me."
...( read more)
One thing's for certain: no-one could ever accuse Joel and Ethan Coen of selling out. After the duo achieved perhaps their greatest critical success with No Country for Old Men (for which they collected m -
December 20, 2009a superb effort by the coens and one of their most understated comedies, stuhlbarg brings a stage actor's mentality fittingly into his role, the screenplay is successful in many respects, a brilliantly fatalistic metaphor
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December 19, 2009Easily one of the better films of the year, neatly proving that they don't need Francis McDormand or Steve Buscemi to make a little masterpiece. And if any movie has a perfect ending, this is definitely it!
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December 19, 2009The Coen Brothers are no doubt, two of the best directors working in the industry today. So it is probably no surprise to say that their new film is just simply astonishing. A film that is dim, comical, and really kind of philosophical. One of the best things that the Coen Brothe...( read more)
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December 18, 2009Coen Brothers film is thought-provoking and superbly made, but not without it's moderate nitpicks.
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December 14, 2009Brilliant, filled with darkly comic moments that the Coen's do so well. What an amazing end too!
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December 10, 2009peace_1oneil@yahoo.com
Hello!!!
My name is peace,i saw your profile today at site çwww.flixster.com/ and became intrested in you,i will also like to know you the more,and i want you to send an email to my email address so i can give you my picture for you to know whom i am.Here...( read more) -
December 10, 2009so I EVER want to see this recent picture from the Coens, that many are hailing their best film, perhaps the best film of the decade? :o
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December 6, 2009Seriously great look at a man trying to make sense of a senseless world; brilliantly observed and played, cheekily perplexing.
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December 4, 2009Quite funny without nearly as much darkness as I'd expected. Quite interesting thematically as well. Just plain good.
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November 30, 2009An example of how many different things in one person's life can go wrong at the same time. It has some great comedy moments but it is so bleak at times that I found it rather depressing. I know it's meant to show the shittyness that Larry's life becomes but it almost does that t...( read more)
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November 29, 2009Those of you who appreciate the kind of dark humor the Cohen brothers presented in "The Big Lebowski", will appreciate this film. It's the kind of film that you will either get and love, or (like my wife) you will not connect with and absolutely hate. Lots of uncomfortable laug...( read more)
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November 26, 2009Brilliant stuff once more from the Coens. Hilarliously funny and yet quite dark and sad in places as well. The story of someone's life coming apart is nothing new, but it's done so well here. Stuhlbarg gives a fantastic performance, and the film is complimented by a wonderful vis...( read more)
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November 24, 2009A putzy Jewish physics professor suffers from a series of problems including a failing marriage, bratty kids, students willing to do anything for a passing grade, financial troubles, and a ne'er-do-well brother. It's a retelling of the Book of Job as an absurdist comedy; frequen...( read more)
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November 24, 2009On some level, the Coens' flippancy is self-protective. But there's fascination and pleasure in their trick of constructing a film like a theorem where nothing adds up.
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November 24, 2009This is a weird movie. it's sort of in between territory for just about every aspect of film. watching it, i was split betewwn humour, pain, and frustration as i just wanted thing to tie up, insted of being unresolved and going no where. the movie points out we want answers and ...( read more)
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November 22, 2009One thing I can say for sure is The Coen Brothers know what they are doing. From every placement of the camera and the impeccable timing, damn these boys are good. This is a master stroke of film, the curve balls in story that seem to come out of nowhere get the brain thinking. I...( read more)
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November 22, 2009Terrific exercise in the art of sympathetically depicting a man at breaking point. Stuhlbarg could have a Best Actor nomination. Also hands down one of the year's best original screenplays. Though AWAY WE GO may still be my favorite picture, A SERIOUS MAN beats even THE BROTHER...( read more)
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November 22, 2009michael stuhlberg i feel will get nominted for a oscar for his breakthrough role here,as larry gopnik going through family problems in the latest coen brothers film, as usuall, thecoens trademarks are on show, and im guessing will infuriate non fans,but coen fans willget a lot ou...( read more)
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November 21, 2009One thing I have learned from this trailer is that:
LARRY GOPNIK NEEDS HELP!!! -
November 21, 2009An[other] extraordinary film by the Coen brothers who delivers a strong yet depressive movie about a man who tries to make everything works when everything falls apart (and actually everything really in a way fall apart non-figuratively). Strong with his direction and characters ...( read more)
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November 20, 2009This is one of the most engrossing movies the Coen brothers have ever produced. Only they could manage to tap into the dark side of Hebrew School in the Upper Midwest.
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November 19, 2009I don't know what happened. I wanted to like A Serious Man. The previews were good, and it's the Coen brothers, for Christ sake.
A Serious Man is a flat out..... well..... flat movie. The Coen brothers have had such success making movies that aren't overly flashy, or flashy at ...( read more) -
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November 15, 2009brilliant laugh out loud funny and at the same time as being terribly melancholy. life sucks and larry gopnik knows it!
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November 14, 2009The Coen brothers have created THE NEW FIDDLER ON THE ROOF! Here are the reasons I say that: first, the trailer in its own way presents a musical composition to us; second, the opening scene presents roughly the same time period and place; third, the story takes place in an alm...( read more)
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November 13, 2009I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. At first, I thought it was a little annoying that the film offered more questions than answers, but then, by the end of the film, found that it was kind of the point of the film in my opinion. I connected with the idea of questionin...( read more)
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November 10, 2009without question, this is a film i could see myself raising the score on over time. this is a deeply brooding and thought provoking film that carries along with no clear plot until the end, when suddenly it all makes sense. this alegory of the life of Job takes a unique turn, p...( read more)
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November 9, 2009This movie was interesting...
I'm not sure if I liked it...but it was interesting. Like a few of the Coen brothers movies preceding this bleak, slow-paced character examination of a "Job"-like man (Job, from the Bible), it may grow on me after a second and third watch, and I m...( read more) -
November 8, 2009I am not sure if a fully understand this film but I still enjoyed it. Like some films by the Coen brothers it really makes you think. There is a good lead performance by Michael Stuhlbarg. If you like the Coen brothers then definitely check this film out.
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November 7, 2009The Coens knock another one out of the park. Ten times funnier than Burn after Reading, Serious Man is unsettling and ambiguous. The ending left me speechless (as did the prologue). This is the kind of film that leaves you with plenty of intriguing memories that make you just wan...( read more)
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November 4, 2009A very dark and tragic film but resonates so well with turbulent times as of late, reaching on a very personal level that I'm still quite taken by surprise mere moments after leaving the auditorium. The subject matter is dark and perhaps seemingly nihilistic that you walk out kin...( read more)
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November 4, 2009The Coen brothers use their strange sense of humor perfectly in A Serious Man. Their use of humor allows the audience to settle into the uncomfortable every-man qualities portrayed in Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg). Filled with memorable performances all around and a great scri...( read more)
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November 3, 2009A tense, powerfully effective exercise in tonal control, this movie functions well as an entertainment piece as well as an art film. It's darkly hilarious in a style that only the Coen brothers can pull off, with phenomenal structure and a wonderfully ambiguous premise. The perfo...( read more)
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November 3, 2009The Academy Award Winning Coen brothers' are back. And their new film, A Serious Man (2009) is absolutely outstanding, certainly one of the best films I have seen all year. The plot is somewhat difficult to explain, and describing it doesn't really describe the film. However, ...( read more)
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November 3, 2009aucun acteur connu mais aucun acteur qui déçois, en plus un humour cynique et noir qui défriserait des boudin de juif ..et quoi dire de la trame sonore ... Jefferson Airplane
