Review: A Serious Man
November 8th 2009 23:03
A Serious Man (Coen Brothers, 2009)
Written 11/8/09
Lawrence Gopnik (Michael Stulsburg) is not a man who is taken seriously. His wife looks down at him and wants a ‘get’ (a Jewish ritual divorce) so she may marry his best friend. His kids don’t listen to him (“What’s going on?” Larry repeatedly asks; they just leave the room). He’s being bribed and blackmailed simultaneously at school by his Korean student, his All-American neighbor wants to build onto his property line, and his tenure may be in jeopardy due to threatening letters. Like many have said, this truly is the Coen Brothers bleakest and probably darkest comedy/drama yet. When we laugh it is mostly at the sad state in which Larry’s life is going. It doesn’t get better; in fact the one instance in the film where it does seem to be turning around for Larry is squashed directly afterward.
[RIGHT]Michael Stuhlbarg is strangely hypnotic as Larry. He illuminates the screen anytime he is on it. Stulhbarg pulls off the difficult task of making Larry utterly likeable through and through rather than whiny, pathetic, and annoying, which easily could have happened. Stulhbarg’s line delivery is first rate and you’d think he was a seasoned Coen Brothers pro. This is his first lead role in a film and he’s magnificent. Stuhlbarg should be a shoe-in come Oscar time and hopefully has a lengthy film career ahead of him.
The rest of the cast is great as well, especially Fred Melamed as Sy Ableman, who you just can’t help but like. The score is darkly sinister and keeps the audience guessing as to exactly which direction the film will take; it doesn’t go exactly where one would expect it to. At one point, we think Larry will end up using something of his brother's in his in order to secure his tenure. He doesn’t, because his tenure is suddenly safe. That’s the only piece of good news in the film. Afterward, it just gets worse and rolls to an abrupt end, like that of No Country for Old Men. The audience is left with questions they will never receive. The film begins in such a way as well, with a confusing and rather hilarious prologue about a couple that unwittingly invites a dybbuk (possibly, it’s never official) into their home. Were these people relatives of Larry? Is that why he appears to be cursed with horrid luck? Or are we not supposed to read into the scene at all?
The Coens uses the Book of Job as the groundwork for their tale. As such, everyone tells Larry to turn to faith for help but each Rabbi he visits only serve to further confuse and frustrate. Like a storm that ominously rolls into town toward the climax of the film, such are the events in Larry’s life -- forces of nature beyond his (or anyone’s) control.
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