Every now and then, there are films that I somehow mistake for something else. I don't know why, but I avoided this film for the longest time because I thought it was a documentary. Not that I have a thing against documentaries, it's just that I didn't know anything about it and I would always see the poster of a man standing on a roof near an antenna and it just didn't grab me. However, I did notice that a lot of people were buying tickets for it while I was buying a ticket to go see "New York, I Love You" and I was curious as to why. Had I'd known that this was a Coen Brothers film, I would've seen it the minute it hit theaters.
"A Serious Man" is a film directed by the Coen Brothers and it stars mostly unknown talent, Michael Stuhlbarg, Sara Lennick, Aaron Wolff, Jessica McManus, and Richard Kind who is the most known out of the cast. It's basically a black comedy about a man, Larry Gopnik, who is dealing with sudden life changing events throughout the course of the film. This is one of those films that you really can't explain the plot, you just have to see it. That's pretty much how all of the Coen brothers films are anyway. They have a different and unique way of telling stories. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this film and not because I'm a fan of the directors. This is a film that stands on it's on and really gives you an engaging story. Another thing is the dry humor. That's one thing I love about the Coens films. At times the humor is so dry that you don't know if you should laugh or not. The only problem that I had with it, and this pretty much goes for any Coen Brothers film, is that the ending was way too ambiguous. In fact, the ending was so abrupt that I found myself in a state of "huh?" At the same time, though, I really thought that it was brilliant. I even rewound the ending again just to make sure that the impact would be the same and it was. Only now, I was mesmerized and loved the Coens even more for pulling an ending like this. What the fuck? Seriously? The movie literally ended at the film's highest climax. Having said that, it's also a little creepy. I won't give it away but the ending almost takes away from the film experience as a whole. They basically do whatever the fuck they want and that's what I love about them. Also, call me stupid, but I really didn't get what the beginning scene had to do with the film but that just might be me needing to have a second viewing of the film. There's so much to be said about this film and how much I loved it.
The performances in this film were top notch. Michael Stuhlbarg is amazingly heartfelt as Larry Gopnik and gives a humanity to the character. He plays the character so beautifully and subtle that you feel sorry for this guy and all the bad things that are happening to him all at once. That's an example of bringing a realness to a character. He's definitely an actor to watch out for. Sara Lennick as his wife is great as well for this being her first feature film. I'm sure she has a long career ahead of her after this. Truth be told, there is not a performance in this film that isn't top notch. The Coens are always good about casting and the actors are always believable.
Another interesting thing that I liked about this film was the sound design. It's very rare when a film like this wows you with sound. It was strategic and placed perfectly. I watched this film on my computer so I can only imagine what it would sound like on blu ray. The look of the film was very dry as well. It sort of signified how living in the suburbs would feel like and I know first hand cause I used to live in the suburbs. The color palette was muted and it almost had a hopeless feel to it. This is a great example of how to set the mood for a story. People don't realize that everything matters when you're making a film.
If you're looking for an entertaining film with perfect dry humor and a quirky story, then this film is for you. I really enjoyed it and laughed out loud at many parts.
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