A Serious Man. 105 minutes. Rated M. Written and Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
With characters that redefine "quirky" (such as the childless, baby-thieving anti-heros in Raising Arizona), often found in situations that stretch the limits of credibility (The Big Lebowksi's mobster-inspired, mistaken identity/kidnapping plot), the films of Joel and Ethan Coen (more popularly referred to as "The Coen Brothers") are often considered to be an acquired taste. Discussion and debate about their prolific output, which also includes the Oscar-winning Fargo (1996), O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), No Country for Old Men (2007) and Burn After Reading (2008), is always guaranteed to divide audiences either side of the line between rampant, adoring fans and those who just don't get what all the fuss is about.
And while their latest offering will certainly not be to everyone's taste, A Serious Man is a scene by scene and, in fact, moment by moment, cinematic masterpiece – one of those rare, superb, faultless films that, while it's convenient to describe it as a 'black comedy', actually defies both genre and convention. Powered by the work of one of Hollywood's most gifted cinematographers Roger Deakins' (a Coen Brothers' regular), in stunning form, a brilliantly layered, insightful and marvellously original script, and a cast made up almost entirely of relative unknowns giving the performances of their lives, A Serious Man is a mesmerising and hugely rewarding experience.
Professor Larry Gopnik's (a magnificent Michael Stuhlbarg, pictured) life is falling apart. His snappy and acerbic wife Judith (Sari Lennick) announces she is "seeing" a friend of theirs, Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed), and wants a divorce. His no-hoper brother Arthur (Richard Kind) is a guest in the family home and is making no attempt whatsoever to move out. His daughter Sarah (Jessica McManus) is powering through life (and every room in the house) with typical teenage angst and fury, while his pot-head son Danny (Aaron Wolff) is nervously preparing for his Bar Mitzvah while trying to avoid his drug-dealing neighbour to whom he owes twenty dollars. And that's just the beginning of Larry's problems!
Returning to the world of their childhoods (Midwest America in the late 1960s), the Coen Brothers and their team work undeniable miracles of storytelling and filmmaking in every frame. While some of their Jewish faith-based intricacies are likely to be lost in translation, the subtle (and occasionally not-so-subtle) exploration of entirely universal themes results in an almost gravity-defying level of engagement. Stuhlbarg is purely astonishing in his first leading role in front of the camera – and it is his performance alone, within this extraordinary luxury of riches, that will win your heart. Highly recommended.
This review was commissioned by the Geraldton Newspapers Group and an edited version of it was published in the print edition of the Midwest Times.
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