A SERIOUS MAN - Film Review
by Aaron Fenn
Humor me for a second and allow me to state something
possibly controversial: die hard Coen brothers’ fans are quite similar to
Beatles’ fans. Still with me?
If you were to ask a hundred Beatles’ fans what their top three Beatles songs were, you’d likely find that you’d get close to a hundred different answers. In the same sense, the Coen brothers have made vastly different yet intriguing films that I’d be willing to bet, if the same question were asked about their top three films, approximately a hundred different answers would ensue.
If anyone’s keeping score, my three would be Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and Barton Fink.
A Serious Man, writer-directors Joel and Ethan Coen’s 14th feature, tells the biblical Job-like story of Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg). Larry’s a family man with a wife and two children, a physics professor who’s up for tenure, and a loving brother, who despite the obvious inconveniences, allows him to live with them in his modest home. But of course, in true Coen brothers’ fashion, Larry’s life becomes unraveled and goes from moderately bad to far worse than he could ever imagine.
Don’t let the simple title mislead you, however, because the film is far from it. With religious themes, symbolism, and a prologue spoken entirely in Yiddish, I’d be the first to tell you that this film is not for everyone. To say that the conclusion is open-ended, would be an understatement. The ending is definitely ambiguous, but for some reason, it works. Like Barton Fink and No Country For Old Men, A Serious Man may not wrap up everything in a nice, neat, little package for the audience, but one thing it will do, is make them think.
Final Rating: 5/5
Source: The Poly Post
If you were to ask a hundred Beatles’ fans what their top three Beatles songs were, you’d likely find that you’d get close to a hundred different answers. In the same sense, the Coen brothers have made vastly different yet intriguing films that I’d be willing to bet, if the same question were asked about their top three films, approximately a hundred different answers would ensue.
If anyone’s keeping score, my three would be Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and Barton Fink.
A Serious Man, writer-directors Joel and Ethan Coen’s 14th feature, tells the biblical Job-like story of Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg). Larry’s a family man with a wife and two children, a physics professor who’s up for tenure, and a loving brother, who despite the obvious inconveniences, allows him to live with them in his modest home. But of course, in true Coen brothers’ fashion, Larry’s life becomes unraveled and goes from moderately bad to far worse than he could ever imagine.
Don’t let the simple title mislead you, however, because the film is far from it. With religious themes, symbolism, and a prologue spoken entirely in Yiddish, I’d be the first to tell you that this film is not for everyone. To say that the conclusion is open-ended, would be an understatement. The ending is definitely ambiguous, but for some reason, it works. Like Barton Fink and No Country For Old Men, A Serious Man may not wrap up everything in a nice, neat, little package for the audience, but one thing it will do, is make them think.
Final Rating: 5/5
Source: The Poly Post
Totally agree about the Coen brothers top three film arguement; great way to put things in perspective for sure. But it wouldn't do justice unless Fargo is on the top three list; that movie is undeniably their greatest yet.
I still have to see a Serious Man, but I can't wait to. The Coen Brothers are in the top tier of all-time filmmakers, and whenever they release another movie I get really excited.
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I'm very curious what you'll think about it! It's definitely not as accessible as No Country For Old Men, so I'm curious how it's going to play out once it expands. Out of curiosity, what are your top 3 Coen brothers' films? Thanks for reading my review!!
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I really think your love for an "open ended" ending to a movie sometimes clouds your judgment as to what A good movie ending is. You seem to really love when almost NOTHING is said about the future of the characters, or even the present in some cases, which I don't personally believe is "great" movie-making, albeit depending on how it's used. Los Coen's seem to relish in the fact that nobody can really dispute the ending to most of their films, and so I think people overestimate their films. When everything is left up to the imagination, they can turn any negative reaction to the ending of their film into a slight to the person who said it, and I think they do it for exactly those reasons. Not really "lazy" movie-making, just snobby.
All that being said, You're "text" review was really superb, and I wish this website had more content like it used to.
My three Coen Favorites (before you ask, if you ask) are...
O'Brother
The Big Lebowski
Burn After Reading
There's something about a "smart" comedy that always gets me excited, and they do it the best of anyone at the moment. I don't rank this film as highly as you do, but it'd be in my top 6 I think.
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Do you include NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN in the "snobby" category? Also, would you prefer if those endings had been more clear and defined and had less room for interpretation?
As for the Coen's making their films the way they do so they can turn negative reactions into a slight against those people? Come on, now. Those ambiguous endings may not work for YOU but they work for a lot of people and it's as simple as that. Just because you don't enjoy their ambiguous endings doesn't make them snobs for doing it. A negative reaction is just as valid as a positive one.
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Thought provoking is thought provoking, but not summing anything up at the end of your movies just because its "the way you do things" doesn't really seem like true film-making to me. It's like when you start to write a movie you're handicapping yourself by knowing in advance that your ending has to be ambiguous.
I don't mean that the coens do it FOR that reason, but I can definitely see that being a way they could combat negative criticism without much thought.
A negative reaction is obviously valid, but its not what you want! If you're trying to build momentum for a film, and you get a few similar criticisms like "the ending was ambiguous and I didn't need it to be" wouldn't you just come out and say what I mentioned earlier? Its hard for a small movie to get off the ground if it has one giant hole in it.
Again, I mostly mentioned that because I noticed Aaron always seemingly mentions the fact that he liked the ending to a movie if it was left "ambiguous", and I can't remember him not liking a film with that ending. Could be coincidence, and I assume it is, but you never know. I felt like it might warrant a message to be brought to your attention. The Coen Brothers thing is mostly my own personal conspiracy theory about them.
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And what exactly constitutes "true filmmaking?" Not having ambiguous endings? Not doing "the way you do things?" For my money, they make THEIR films THEIR way and THAT is what I respect most.
Also, we have no idea whether the Coen's have ever "handicapped" themselves as we have no idea whether they start a script with an ending in mind. In a Creative Screenwriting magazine interview they've actually admitted to barely even structuring their films before they begin writing.
In my opinion, the Coen's are among the top most creative and consistently surprising directors we have in the States. Their films are rich with detail, superb dialogue, fascinating characters, terrific performances from terrific actors, top notch direction, and an unmatched streak of dark humor. You could cut the last 10 minutes of every Coen Brothers film and even then you'd have a catalogue of films like none other. To harp on the endings to SOME of their films (not all Coen endings are ambiguous) is focusing on a small detail of a bigger picture.
They're at a point in the career where they can make films exactly how they want. Whether that includes an ambiguous ending, or a well defined one, we're better for having the Coens and their films.
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True Filmmaking? I guess I would call it something along the lines of a labor of love, or something like that.
I just meant that it seems like they handicap themselves with how often they leave the ending up to interpretation. Is it coincidence THAT often? I don't know.
I agree with everything about the Coens. I really do. I just don't buy into the ending of most of their films, thats really all.
I'm pretty sure we're NOT better off for the Ladykillers. That is one thing I will have to disagree with you on.
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This comment is coming incredibly late.
But no film has ahd the impact on me than this film. Seeing the trailer I thought it'd be like Raising Arizona. And while watching it I was put off by the slow-pace. When it finished I turned to my older brother and said 'It was goo' we talked and talked. It became my favourite of the year and then the decade. But really I've never seen a better film than this. Just so much meaning with all that laughter.
Things happen in the film that can be said because of religious reasons or they just happen (kinda like our own world, I however am an atheist)
And it does end perfectly. Larry Teaches the Uncertainty principle and battles lifes mystery with reiligion to give him perspective (he needs to accept the mystery and figure things out for himself, is my take on the rabbis lectures)
The answer is not important, the journey is. So who cares what happens with the tornado, or Larries health?
For those who have that problem, will most likely suffer the way Larry does.
Then there's the religious aspect to it.
Job looked over the fence at 'Bathsheba bathing nude' (larry and the naked lady at the fence)
Jobs son was struck down by god with a tornedo and god said (this part I forgot)
But we hear Jefferson Airplane (which Marshak endorses, after all he's been through alot) these words are the ones Danny was listining to (for guidance in life? Instead of the words in Hebrew class, music I think is better for us)
I could go on all day about all the rewards I've found in this film. How it continously rewards me. It is the best film I've ever seen. FULL STOP.
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