A Serious Man

This is a very strange film. We selected it on Netflix because we like the Coen Brothers movies. The prologue made me think I must have pressed the wrong button and gotten a different film. I spent the rest of the movie believing that the Gopnik must have been a descendent of the prologue family who was cursed. He is a schlimazel in every sense of the word. He seems to have no weapons to combat the demons that befall him. His entire life seems to be going down the drain with no redemption possible. The ending enforces this assumption. I expect an awful lot from a Coen Brothers film. This doesn't rank with their outstanding efforts such as Blood Simple or Fargo.

I quite enjoyed watching “The Serious Man” since I am a Coen Brothers fan. Also, I could relate to the film because I am a member of the Jewish community. It is no surprise that the film has received mixed reviews.

If you love the Coen Brother's previous works, this one, unless you're a member of the Jewish community, or very intimately acquainted, it is very hard to understand, interact and enjoy. Normally, the directors have a keen eye, an immensely dark sense of humour normally coupled with a twisted script. This movie isn't far off. The reliance on various Jewish religious terms makes parts of the movie impenetrable for the viewer.

If this movie didn't rely on having an in-depth knowledge of the Jewish language, I probably would have got something rewarding from it. It'd have been better if it was all shot in Jewish and translated into English. Give this one a miss and rent Fargo, Big Lebowski and No Country For Old Men. Don't believe the critics...

The key difference is that some movies, like Kubrick's Clockwork Orange we have invented terms. However, the viewer within the context gets the idea. However, with this movie, the viewer gains little, if no in-sight into Jewish culture. For me, this does little justice to the Jewish culture and creates a divide which need not be important to inviting the viewer into the more complex aspects of the Coen's Brother's portrayal of it.

Was their view sarcastic? Was it benevolent? Was it a critique? Search me.... I've not friggin idea.

In effect it kind of follows the reliance on religious mentors, their role and how they've evolved, stayed the same, or offer advice which is valued, but they actually part very little. The movie kicks off with a scene which, for I, had NO relevance to the rest of the movie. There's an importance with scripture and a circle in the story to those who are blessed and righteous even though they themselves may not know it.

I get the sense that some of the religious Jewish fables, probably mirror biblical or cabalistic tales. Indeed they are probably critical or sarcastic. I was just plainly lost. Let's put it this way. I can watch a Lynch movie and take away a lot. To loose me in a movie, if the director isn't portraying visual or spoken metaphor, [which I can understand translated or not], then it's impenetrable.

With no reference point I started to turn off. The movie has so few laughs and moves at such a tortuously slow pace, you're probably finding excuses to go for a number 2.

I'm a Coen Brother's lover. What I'm about to write saddens me, this is one of the WORST MOVIES THEY'VE EVER PRODUCED. The previous reviewer mentioned that the movie finished without a final conclusion. No Country For Old Men, finished in the same fashion. However, there was conclusion of sorts. You needed to add up the circle to this point. This movie falls well shy of the critiques I've read from the press. Avoid at all costs!

I went to see A Serious Man after hearing and reading some great reviews by various film critics. I'm a Coen Brothers fan and I enjoy offbeat, slightly arthouse movies so A Serious Man seemed perfect for me.

The movie is set in 1970s suburban America and centres on the life of the 'Serious Man', a Jewish family man who always tries to do the right thing by his family, his religion and his job as a College Professor. However despite his best intentions and determination to 'do the right think' his life starts to fall apart around him in a number of humiliating and comical ways.

The film is extremely well shot with great direction and mainly strong performances from the relatively unknown cast. The story is best described as a black comedy with some very funny moments and a dark edge.

I throughly enjoyed the film right up until the anti-climactic ending. The film doesn't really have a conventional ending - it just stops. The story seems to be building up to some kind of resolution for the central character the movie ends in a rather disappointing way. Perhaps I should have expected this from a Coen Brothers movie.

Everyone in the cinema was shocked when the credits came up with the confused glances between couples continuing as we spilled out onto the streets. Given this was a Curzon full of arty Soho-types my disappointment couldn't be entirely down to personal ignorance.

If the ending had been matched up to the build up I would have given this film 4 stars but I felt pretty cheated afterwards and it only just scrapes a 3. One for blindly fanatic Coen brothers followers only.