A Serious Man (2009)

I walked into this unsure if it could live up to its consistently amazing and oddly quotable trailer, but by jove, it totally does! A Serious Man comes to us from those lovable scamps Joel and Ethan Coen, whose thematic range is as certain as their ability to entertain. Michael Stuhlbarg stars as physics professor Larry Gopnik, whose seemingly standard and happy life gradually begins to unravel with the news that his wife Judith (Sari Lennick) wants to divorce him so she can marry Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed), an older widower in their community.

He's also afflicted with a South Korean student who tries to bribe him for a passing grade, an antagonistic, possibly anti-Semitic neighbor, a socially inept, live-in brother (Richard Kind) with a penchant for illegal gambling, indifferent and disrespectful children, and anonymous letters of condemnation sent to the committee debating his tenure. And people keep dying around him. Worst of all, none of the rabbis at his synagogue seem able to give him any useful advice! This man is frustrated. He tries to keep his sanity as things go from bad to worse and any remaining foundations of his life come crumbling down.

But it's mostly a comedy, I promise.

This movie is just so perfectly crafted- everything about it comes together flawlessly to produce a funny, engaging, and affecting work of cinema. Music plays naturally across seemingly effortless scene transitions, while darkly comedic dialogue works its way through what is otherwise a woeful tale. The editing and camerawork are fantastic, incorporating quick, juxtaposing cuts and faintly surreal dream scenes. The performances are excellent, with the Coens substituting poise, comedic timing, and an attention to character for big-name actors who might consume the roles with their own strong personalities. Fred Mulamed is the standout comedically, with little screen time but this amazing line delivery that really gets to me. And I hope Michael Stuhlbarg wins something for this, because he is just all-around great.

Everything and everyone is very Jewish, which I find awesome, but slightly alienating because I don't know all that much about the religion. I learned some new things though, like how divorce works in Judaism! Everything is also very 60's suburbia, which is interesting visually and culturally, showing the dregs of the 1950's flowing over and mingling with new ideas. A Serious Man is the work of artists who are truly dedicated to and comfortable with their craft, combining experimental elements with more familiar aspects. It all just works, completely, from the dead-pan beginning to the stellar and abrupt ending. I'm glad the trailer didn't let me down!

5/5