When it comes to the Coen brothers, there’s a school of thought that they do one film for “them” (the studios) and one film for themselves. Whereas the studio films have mainly been a success, their more personal films have left some people feeling cold. A Serious Man feels like the Coen's most personal film and though reviews have been mainly positive, I found this to be a little too self-indulgent. The theme of A Serious Man is one of uncertainty as Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) finds his reasonably comfortable life begin to unravel around him in what most critics would refer to as “classic Coen black comedy style”. Having said that, there really aren’t that many laughs to be had. Though we sympathise with Gopnik, the problem with the film, much like Burn After Reading, is that none of the characters are likable and the humour is more belittling than actually black. Plus, though obviously filmed as such, the confusion of Gopniks life is mirrored in the screenplay and editing of the film. The overall message of the film is open to interpretation, but the way it’s told, with many unanswered loose ends, may leave you unmoved as opposed to taking time to read between the lines. Of course being the Coen’s it’s can’t be all bad. The actual look of the film is lesson to film makers everywhere. The cinematography, framing and lighting is as solid as it comes. It’s a shame the rest of the film doesn’t reach similar heights.
The OC Film Sting Final Verdict
The Coen brothers tick a lot of their usual boxes in this low key effort. The box marked “entertaining” remains blank though. Rating: 5/10.
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