Review: A Serious Man

Chosen Cones

In my humble opinion, I do not believe the Coen brothers can make bad very often. In fact, there's only one film of theirs that is fundamentally bad, and that would be The Ladykillers. Even one of their least involving films for me, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, still manages to impress at the very least on a technical scale. Lately the Coens struck gold, literally, with their 2007 Oscar guzzler No Country for Old Men and reclaimed their status as ace filmmakers after getting a little shaky post-The Big Lebowski. Even Burn After Reading is an underrated gem that makes a great companion piece to their greatest film Fargo. While thematically this film and that other masterpiece don't have that much in common, they do go together well because this film is the best since Fargo, and I'm well aware that glosses over the so-called Best Picture.

Part semi-autobiography, part reinterpretation of the Bible's Book of Job, the film circles around Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg). He's a normal man trying to deal with some abnormal circumstances happening in his life. His wife (Sari Lennick) wants a divorce and a spiritual divorce so she can remarry a family friend, so he moves out to a second rate motel. His application for tenure as a college professor is in jeopardy. A Korean student (David Kang) who attempted to bribe Larry for a passing grade is potentially suing him for defamation. Larry eccentric relative (Richard Kind) refuses to get his life together and stays in his home. All in the days leading up to his son's bar mitzvah. To try to cope with all of these escalating problems, Larry tries to seek out a trio of mysterious rabbis.

As good as a film No Country for Old Men is, I have to admit that it does not have a great amount of re-watch value. It's a style you get used to after a while, and the power of the filmmaking isn't retained. This film feels so packed with subtle plot points and nuanced character moments that there feels like there's a treasure trove of elements to discover. The Coen brothers set up the framework quite well, and their inventiveness with the camera continually draws the audience in. They perfectly capture the mid '60s feel, and their world is completely believable and credible, and that is an appreciative effort.

What also tends to happen in some Coen brothers films is that there is an accusation of them looking down at their characters and mocking them. That can be true to an extent, but on the whole, the characters that populate the film feel fleshed out and never exist solely on a caricature level. Also, in order to really appreciate the story, a basic knowledge of the story of Job's terrible plight. Having that in the back of your mind allows you to see some of the strong and subtle parallels to such a famous tale, and it is intriguing to see how the Coens transform the story and take it to interesting areas. On a note about the story, this does have an abrupt ending like No Country, but having the knowledge about Job gives you a better appreciation about that where the story ends and a realization that anymore would be overindulgent.

Stuhlbarg doesn't give a mind-blowing performance, but he fortunately doesn't sleepwalk through this role either. He presents a grounded character who feels believable enough for us to become invested in his struggles. Other members of the ensemble also deliver, like Lennick's deadpan aggressiveness and Kang's monotone aura. Kind is an endearing character, but I will lament that his character feels so limited that I would either have preferred him to have a more prominent role or be eliminated completely. Also, Kind is an actor who portrays the slightly different variations on the same character. However, he does it very well.

There are small quibbles I have with the film, such as Kind's character and the story meandering at some points, but they really shy in comparison to the many great things about this film. It is one in which the Coens put the ultimate faith in their characters, and it has a nice payoff. The story is fascinating, the execution is flawless and the ensemble truly delivers. I am of the honest opinion that this is the Coens' best film since Fargo, and I'm not ashamed to say that it is better than No Country. Unlike that film, this is one I want to watch many times over. ***1/2 / ****; GRADE: A-