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I’ve said it before, and I’m sure I’ll say it again: the Coen Brothers love messing with your head. They love making movies that leave audiences wondering what just happened. And I’m sure they love the heated discussions among viewers who can’t decide if Coen Brothers films are born of genius or insanity. But, most of the time—and certainly with their latest comedy, A Serious Man—they’re so good at messing with your head that you don’t really care if it makes any sense; you’re just happy to sit back and enjoy the big, crazy show.
A Serious Man stars Michael Stuhlbarg as 1960s Midwestern suburbanite Larry Gopnik. Larry has always been a good man. He’s a loving husband, a caring father, a hard-working college professor, a faithful Jew. He even lets his troubled brother, Arthur (Richard Kind), sleep on his couch (much to the rest of the family’s dismay).
But then, one day, Larry’s world starts crumbling. It starts when his wife, Judith (Sari Lennick), announces that she’s leaving him for Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed)—and it’s all downhill from there. The university’s tenure board starts getting nasty letters about him. A failing student starts pressuring him in the most baffling of ways. And some guy from the Columbia Record Club won’t leave him alone.
Meanwhile, Larry tries to keep things running smoothly for his family—for his daughter, Sarah (Jessica McManus), who’s seemingly devoted her life to washing her hair, and his son, Danny (Aaron Wolff), who’s preparing for his bar mitzvah. He’s trying his best—but even his rabbis aren’t any help.
What it all means is anybody’s guess. I have, however, heard a fascinating theory about the book of Job—and that makes perfect sense to me. After all, Larry is a Job-like character—a good man who’s hit with a sudden flood of misfortune. That said, though, I have to admit that the book of Job has never been quite this darkly funny.
A Serious Man is like a Woody Allen movie made by the Coen Brothers. In fact, had it been made in the ‘70s, Allen probably would have starred as the nervous, conflicted Jewish father (though Stuhlbarg gives Allen a serious run for his money). At the same time, though, it’s all Coens, complete with brilliantly bizarre comedic touches and an oddly meandering story. From the perplexing opening scene, involving what may or may not be a sort of evil spirit, to the abrupt ending, you’ll never really know where it’s going—but you won’t really care, either, because it’s simply entertaining.
If you’re a goy like me, though, there will be things about A Serious Man that you won’t quite understand. That’s not to say that you’ll be left in the dark, wondering what’s going on (then again, you probably will—but that will have nothing to do with your religious affiliation). You’ll still be able to enjoy the eccentric characters and the dry, dark humor. In fact, as is usually the case with Coens comedy, you’ll laugh until you feel more than a little bit light-headed. You’ll just miss the little extras—the subtle references that will have the Jewish members of the audience doubled over.
Of course, if you just don’t get the Coens—if their strange stories perplex you and their recent penchant for movies that just stop infuriates you (quite frankly, I can’t blame you there)—then A Serious Man will leave you seriously frustrated. But if you enjoy the Coen Brothers’ quirky sense of dark, rambling humor, A Serious Man is a (not-so-)serious treat.
