A Serious(ly) Man

I love the Coen Brothers. Joel and Ethan Coen rank among my Top 10, maybe even Top 3 filmmakers/screenwriters. "A Serious Man" was not my favorite movie. After seeing 5 films in one week, I can honestly put this one at the bottom of the 5. If I go back a few weeks or fast-forward a few weeks, it will most likely not be saved from last place unless I take my nephew to see "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel".

I thought that there were funny parts to this film that looks at the struggle of physics professor Larry Gopnik as his life hits a chaotic wall. His wife is leaving him, his pot-smoking son is becoming a bar mitzvah and his daughter is constantly trying to wash her hair while saving money for a nose job. Richard Kind plays his uncle, who has a cist that he is constantly draining and provides some entertainment. To add to it, a student is trying to extort Gopnik and his neighbors are distracting him.

There were some funny moments and some pretty dramatic moments but in all, I didn't love this film. I wouldn't even recommend it to anyone. It isn't the worst thing I've ever seen but I just didn't get it. I wonder if maybe I don't understand enough about Judaism to really see why it is special or if it just wasn't my cup of tea.

The son and Sy Ableman (the wife's new man) were my favorite characters and did inevitably make me laugh every time they were on screen.

Probably 2/3 into the film, Gopnik seeks the counsel of a few rabbis, one of which was played by Simon Helberg (Walowitz on The Big Bang Theory) and that was a great surprise! I think this happened too late in the film and should have come sooner. He is trying to become a serious man and doesn't think he can do it on his own.

Michael Stuhlbarg did a great job of making Gopnik a character a viewer could only sympathize with and deserves kudos for his acting abilities.

Overall, I give this one a sideways thumb and still can't wait to see what the Coen's have on tap next. If I want to laugh and see a dark comedy, I'll find my Fargo DVD and leave A Serious Man on the shelf.

As I conclude this review, I feel like I really am missing something and am trying to decide if having an awful day before seeing the film led to my lack of patience with it. Maybe you'll really like it. I did laugh and did cringe and that is usually enough but I think I just wanted more. Bummer.