It pains me to put the Coen brothers this low because I admire their work, but this particular film, A Serious Man, just didn’t do it for me. I wanted to like it. I tried to like it. I re-watched it hoping I’d like it more the second viewing. Alas, no, it was simply too dry and mundane for me. I know this may be blasphemy to some (process of elimination tells you an animated film beat it), but please hear me out.
I admired the film for all its technical aspects and production. I love the way the Coen brothers set up a shot and they do it well in this film. The acting is excellent. Michael Stuhlgard masterfully played a helpless victim unwilling to accept his victimhood, but also too nice and meek to really do anything about it. The supporting cast shines as well. The Coen’s also plant good set-ups early on that they use to reap the benefits of comedic payoffs throughout the film (particularly Larry’s son’s obsession with the aerial).
From a story perspective (you know how much I love story!), the Coen’s accomplish what The Blind Side could not: they take a passive character and make him move the story forward. Larry even exclaims in exasperation multiple times throughout the film, “I didn’t do anything!” This is a bit of a paradox because Larry indeed does nothing to cause the misfortunes that befall him. However, he moves the story forward by actively trying to find meaning in them. Despite not appearing to be particularly pious, Larry embarks on a spiritual journey of sorts and visits rabbis to find answers to his crumbling life. He doesn’t simply roll with the punches and carry on with business as usual.
The story also effectively conveys a darkly humorous tone. It is brilliant in its subtlety (I love the scene in which Larry first comes home only to be attacked by an angry wife and daughter for reasons that he doesn’t know and are not his fault, all while his deadbeat brother shouts from the bathroom, “I’ll be right out!”- genius). The film also exposes the ugly side of life’s institutions such as family, marriage, and religion in an amusing way. Don’t expect to fall out of your seat though! The humor is so subtle and downplayed that, in my opinion, it is lost at times. In order to really get the humor and really enjoy it, you have to have a very dry and pretty dark sense of humor.
I also think part of the reason I missed out on some of the humor is due to my own ignorance. I am not Jewish and am not an expert on the religion or culture. As a result, I got the sense that some of the potency of the humor was lost on me because I am an outsider. Since much of the humor was satirical, and the “who” is often the most important aspect of the humor in satire, my unfamiliarity with the Jewish religion or culture left a gap for me. I believe this may have been true of the story as well, particularly in the opening scene. To me, it seemed very unnecessary to have that scene as a sort of fable that, bluntly, shows that s*** happens. They easily could have expressed all relevant information in a more concise, story-centric way, but they didn’t. I assume it was for the entertainment value, which, being an outsider was less effective to me. That’s not to say it was the wrong choice for the film. I just didn’t get it.
My biggest critique, though (and the reason I rank A Serious Man this low) is that it is a story about ordinary people living ordinary lives, with every day, ordinary things happening to them. It sounds kind of boring, right? About half the audience could claim to have an equally exciting life story, maybe even more compelling depending on the audience! Why should I invest my time and energy into a story about fictional characters that is no grander than my own life story? I’m not saying I need Pandora to be entertained, but do something to draw me into the story! Going into a film, I have nothing invested in its characters or story. It is the story’s job to grab my attention and make me care about it whether I want to or not. Unfortunately, I found so many of the scenes to be so ordinary and dry that I just found myself getting bored and waiting for the film to end.
So, there you have it. Chalk the low ranking up to personal preference. The film is very well done. The acting is great and the writing is witty. If you like the Coen brothers, you’ve probably already seen the film and aren’t awaiting my recommendation with bated breath. If you consider yourself a bit of a movie buff who enjoys indie films and enjoys films that aren’t high concept, go ahead and rent it. However, if you really only enjoy the Hollywood blockbusters, then this one probably isn’t for you.
Scale:
1- Lots of Better Movies at Blockbuster
2- Might Be Worth Renting
3- Rent It When You Get to It
4- A Must Rent, at some point
5- Put It in Your Queue NOW!
My Rating: 3
Buy A Serious Man
While this film might have resonated with me because 1) my humor is dry 2) I like to indulge in Matzo Ball soup from time to time, I think the major theme of this movie isn't focused on the like of an ordinary man but more about the balance of faith vs. reason. The main character is a man of reason who struggles with why he's been dealt these cards. I think what the Coen Brothers are portraying is that life is not always a cliche, that the statement "everything happens for a reason" is not always true. You do not have to be Bar Mitzvahed to appreciate that.
ReplyDeleteVery good point. I did not intend to express the idea that only those familiar with the Jewish culture/religion would appreciate this film. That's not true. The ultimate reason I didn't like the film is based on your statement of the film's theme. While the idea that "not everything happens for a reason" is poignant and true, it gave the film a sense of randomness and lack of direction that I felt diminished its impact. A movie needs to have a reason. Characters have reasons for doing the things they do in a film and taking those actions creates story. When the reason is "there is no reason", it makes following the characters and the story somewhat pointless because you get a sense that they are powerless and anything they do doesn't matter. While that may be truer to real life than the antithesis, it makes for a boring, uninspiring film in my opinion.
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