“I didn’t do anything.” —Larry
Today’s quick review: A Serious Man. Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a Jewish physics professor and family man, has been having a rough time of it. His wife Judith (Sari Lennick) wants a divorce so she can marry another man (Fred Melamed), his son Danny (Aaron Wolff) is preparing for his Bar Mitzvah, and his career is at a sensitive juncture. To cope with the mounting stress of his life, Larry desperately seeks guidance from his local rabbis.
A Serious Man is a black comedy and drama from the Coen Brothers. A Serious Man follows the travails of Larry Gopnik, an unassuming man who can’t seem to catch a break. Larry’s fatal flaw is that he tries to do the right thing, a trait that those around him are quick to exploit. His good intentions only earn him more suffering, while his attempts to push back against his tormentors are hamstrung by his passive, self-effacing nature.
A Serious Man gets most of its drama and humor out of pushing Larry to his limits. The many threads of Larry’s life are all united by his suffering and his unsuccessful attempts to find solace. At its best, the movie is a wry look at the unfairness of life and the futility of playing by the rules. However, A Serious Man embraces this theme to the exclusion of all else. The story is a gradual slide from bad to worse with precious few reprieves.
How much you get out of A Serious Man will depend heavily on taste. Those who can commiserate with Larry, laugh at the ironies of his life, and embrace the absurdity of it all will feel right at home. Those looking for a plot-driven story, a straightforward comedy, or a triumphant protagonist will be disappointed. A Serious Man tries for a particular tone and achieves it, but it will hold very little appeal for the wrong viewer.
For an even bleaker Coen Brothers drama about the life of a passive, ordinary man, try The Man Who Wasn’t There. For a crime comedy with a similarly put-upon but less scrupulous protagonist, try The Informant!. For a comedy about a similarly dysfunctional family with more heart, try Little Miss Sunshine.
7.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for an effective but off-putting vision of helplessness.