A Serious Man

This latest film from the Coen brothers is a black comedy re-telling of the biblical story of Job. Not the usual Hollywood high concept, but then again, the Coen brothers are not your usual producer/director team. The action takes place in Minnesota circa 1967, in a virtually all Jewish, highly insular community. Michael Stuhlbarg is Larry Gopnik, a college professor, who, early on, finds out that his wife wants a divorce, and, is planning to marry a good friend of theirs. This is only the first of Larry's many "trials" which include, a threatened lawsuit, financial stress, obnoxious kids, and a psycho neighbor. There's more, but why spoil the fun. Larry takes it all, and it's obvious that life has destroyed whatever fighting spirit he may have once had. I found myself wishing a number of times that he would stand up for himself, just once. Not that he doesn't try to get help, but the local Rabbis only offer him meaningless parables, at best. In a way, this film is the most violent of all the Coen brothers endeavors, although in this one, the damage is all emotional. The mostly unknown cast all do an excellent job, and in spite of the depressing nature of story, "black" is nicely balanced with comedy. This is a fine addition to the Coen brothers body of work.

Rating - 3 1/2 Stars