Sorry for neglecting you Blog. Trying to prep for the Oscars though, so mad movie-watching going on and many mondo reviews will grace your face in the coming weeks. Here's a recent DVD release (hit the shelves on 2/9/10) that also happens to be nominated for Best Picture and Best Screenplay (not based on previous work).
A SERIOUS MAN (09):
The Coen Brothers have done it again. Not that I’m surprised. A Serious Man may be their most serious and most personal film to date, in addition to being one of their best. While it doesn’t boast the entertainment or replay value of Coen classics such as The Big Lebowski or O Brother Where Art Thou, A Serious Man is a brilliant film with the prolific duo’s signatures all over it.
It is loaded with their unique brand of dialogue, delivered matter-of-factly by a game cast. At times, this movie reminded me of Falling Down, but it stays (more) grounded in the realm of reality. Here, our doormat protagonist never explodes (violently), but rather shifts perspective, beginning to question life as he knew it and as things fall apart around him, making compromises in ethics and beliefs.
The storyline concerns Larry Gopnik, a quiet middle-aged Jewish man living in the American Midwest. Presented in slice-of-life format, we watch Larry’s life crumble as dilemmas pile up and disturb his mundane existence. The film is quite dramatic but at heart it is a black comedy teeming with uncomfortably funny moments. The humor is dark and offbeat but inspired and injected admirably into an atmosphere of bleak despair.
The ending, as is typical of Coen fare, is sure to leave some scratching their heads or screaming at the screen. Viewers that detest ambiguity or need everything wrapped up succinctly and tied with a cute little bow need not apply, but those that desire some food for thought will not be hungry when the credits roll. I loved the ending, and in fact, would go so far as to say that it is perfect given the themes and events that have preceded it.
This film is about life itself and its biggest questions and whether asking these questions (i.e. trying to be “a serious man”) will have a profound (or any) effect on one’s quality of life. The audience is left to ponder the message, making their own meanings. Some will choose to believe that he acted immorally and God reacted with punishment. On the contrary, I inferred that life is a series of events and insurmountable challenges that are often beyond our control: we attach greater weight to some, and certain things seem so important as to change our existing views or behaviors, but nothing we do will alter the haphazard and indiscriminate nature of life itself. Highly recommended: one of the best films of the year, but not for all tastes.
9.2/10
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