No matter how normal, no matter how pleasant or safe our lives feel at any given moment — the sobering truth of it all remains that anything can happen at any time, for any reason and without even the slightest hint of logic or reasoning. This fact of life could hardly be more present within the Coen Brothers new film A SERIOUS MAN.
The film opens with a quote. Pay attention, as it serves it’s purpose in the enigmatic story of a man trying to make sense of his life, past, present and future. No, this isn’t a retelling of A CHRISTMAS CAROL… that comes later this year and is animated. In fact, it’s been suggested that the film is actually a modern retelling of the Book of Job. Regardless, A SERIOUS MAN is a story about how the universe works and how it doesn’t always work in our favor. Call it chance, fate, whatever… the point is, none of us have any control over anything.
The opening scene takes us into an era past, serving more as an allegory for the film to come, but also sets up the tone of A SERIOUS MAN and gets our minds headed down the right path, even if we have no idea what the path is… even after the film ends. The story itself takes place in 1967 and follows a series of events in the life of Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), an average, mild-mannered Jewish family man and physics professor. Larry is a relatively quiet and decent man, but when his life begins to fall apart around him, one jaw-dropping piece at a time, he finds himself questioning everything.
Larry’s wife Judith (Sari Lennick) drops the first bombshell on his fragile existence, introducing the suave yet unlikable character Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed) and starting the chain reaction of mostly unrelated occurrences that will nearly send Larry over the edge. Interwoven into Larry’s story is his son Danny’s (Aaron Wolff) story, which runs it’s own course until the end when his story comes full circle, acting as the catalyst for an altogether brilliant ending in true Coen Brothers style.
Speaking of the ending, the [fill in the blank] which appears in the final scene actually serves as a sort of metaphor, representing one potential answer to Larry’s primary question. You know, the question all of mankind has been asking for countless generations, the one that civilizations across the globe have repeatedly attempted to answer. On a side note, the film is already garnering the usual praise for the Coen Brothers as masters of their craft, but is also raising hackles amidst some who feel the film mocks the Jewish faith. To those whom find this film offensive, and with no assumptions as to any real understanding of such feelings, I simply ask with all due respect… Why so serious?
Stuhlbarg (BODY OF LIES) is very good in A SERIOUS MAN. The film is deeply rooted within the Jewish faith and culture, but really is not exclusive to this setting. This is a story that could happen to anyone. That’s not to say there isn’t plenty to learn about the Jewish experience from this film, but try not to allow this element to get in the way. Joel and Ethan Coen have clearly implemented the cardinal rule of writing… to write what you know.
The dialogue utilizes a frequent use of the Hebrew language, but in small does sprinkled throughout the film. I found this element extremely well-placed, adding a certain cultural spice and intrigue. The film makes no effort to explain these terms, but they are integrated in a way that allows the audience to put two and two together and not get lost or confused. I appreciate this common thread by the Coen Brothers’ to challenge audiences with their films, but not in a pretentious way.
Perhaps one of the most surprising and enjoyable parts of A SERIOUS MAN is the performance given by Richard Kind (THE GRAND, THE VISITOR) as Larry brother, affectionately referred to as Uncle Arthur. He lives with Larry and his family, has an awkwardly inconvenient medical condition and serves as one of various unlikely sources of insight for Larry in his painfully relentless search for answers.
Richard Kind delivers a performance with range and realism. As an audience, we find ourselves feeling sorry for him, being annoyed by him and yet also find him oddly likable. While I certainly feel Richard Kind is deserving a spot amidst the Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor, he unfortunately is overshadowed by Christoph Waltz’s performance in INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS.
Despite the initial impression going in of a story that sounds potentially slow, drab or boring, A SERIOUS MAN is anything but, as true Coen Brothers fans will attest. This film has plenty of energy, an even mixture of serious comedy and comically dramatic moments, with a tiny pinch of the darker side of things for flavor. And, for those serious Coen Brothers fans, A SERIOUS MAN also features a few staples for our enjoyment.
Carter Burwell (FARGO, ADAPTATION) makes this the 13th film he’s scored for the Coen Brothers and does so with great success. Roger Deakins (THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, KUNDUN) also returns as the impeccable cinematographer he is, making this his 10th time behind the camera for the Coen Brothers. Just for fun, listen closely to catch the reference to the Coen Brothers’ last film BURN AFTER READING.
Overall, A SERIOUS MAN is a funny but honest film that makes us think. It’s an enigmatic ride, but one that’s eerily familiar, if not exaggerated a bit for our own viewing pleasure. The film begins and ends strongly, and maintains it’s strength throughout. The ending, in particular, hits like a ton of slightly enlightened bittersweet bricks. On the scale of audience accessibility, A SERIOUS MAN falls somewhere between NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU, but I highly recommend any who finds this fearful to overcome that fear.
