Movie Review: A Serious Man
By: Ron Stein
Issue date: 11/11/09 Section: Entertainment
The Coen Brothers have gained the reputation as one of our generation's best filmmakers. The duo write, produce and direct just about all of their films. They are responsible for such classics as the Academy Award-winning Fargo and No Country For Old Men, as well as The Big Lebowski and O Brother, Where Art Thou. Their latest, A Serious Man, is by far their most personal film and perhaps one of their finest.
The film, saturated with the Coens' trademark dark humor, centers on Larry, a Jewish physics professor going through a midlife crisis in a Minnesota town in the late 1960s.
His wife, Judith, wants a divorce so she can be with family friend Sy Ableman, who is played by the humorous Fred Melamed, who she has been having an affair with behind Larry's back. The scenes with the three of them are darkly comical, and the viewer can't help but sympathize with Larry.
Larry's problems don't stop there. His son listens to Jefferson Airplane and smokes pot, all while preparing for his Bar Mitzvah and attempting to avoid a bully drug dealer who he owes $20. Also, his daughter has an attitude problem, and his brother is crashing on his couch due to a gambling problem.
To top it off, he is put in an awkward position at work when a Korean student offers him a great sum of money to give him a passing grade.
In the midst of all this chaos, he turns to faith and religion and begins meeting with a number of rabbis in hopes of solving all of his problems in a series of laughable scenes.
The film is shot wonderfully, with fantastic cinematography by Roger Deakins. Come awards season, the Coen Brothers' latest will surely be in the discussion for a number of categories.
A Serious Man has a very limited audience, due to the dark, bizarre themes and references to Judaism that might not appeal to the typical movie-goer. But those willing to give the film a chance will find it funny, entertaining, and engaging. If nothing else, the film shows that the Coen Brothers still continue to put out top-notch films on a consistent basis.
The film, saturated with the Coens' trademark dark humor, centers on Larry, a Jewish physics professor going through a midlife crisis in a Minnesota town in the late 1960s.
His wife, Judith, wants a divorce so she can be with family friend Sy Ableman, who is played by the humorous Fred Melamed, who she has been having an affair with behind Larry's back. The scenes with the three of them are darkly comical, and the viewer can't help but sympathize with Larry.
Larry's problems don't stop there. His son listens to Jefferson Airplane and smokes pot, all while preparing for his Bar Mitzvah and attempting to avoid a bully drug dealer who he owes $20. Also, his daughter has an attitude problem, and his brother is crashing on his couch due to a gambling problem.
To top it off, he is put in an awkward position at work when a Korean student offers him a great sum of money to give him a passing grade.
In the midst of all this chaos, he turns to faith and religion and begins meeting with a number of rabbis in hopes of solving all of his problems in a series of laughable scenes.
The film is shot wonderfully, with fantastic cinematography by Roger Deakins. Come awards season, the Coen Brothers' latest will surely be in the discussion for a number of categories.
A Serious Man has a very limited audience, due to the dark, bizarre themes and references to Judaism that might not appeal to the typical movie-goer. But those willing to give the film a chance will find it funny, entertaining, and engaging. If nothing else, the film shows that the Coen Brothers still continue to put out top-notch films on a consistent basis.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
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posted 12/24/09 @ 1:26 PM EST
It is a great movie.
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posted 3/09/10 @ 2:25 PM EST
Nice film for one time watching.
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