REVIEW: A Serious Man (A)

Consider some of the classic songs featured at pivotal moments of Coen Bros. movies: the operatic "Oh Danny Boy" in Miller's Crossing, the psychedelic "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" in The Big Lebowski, and the bluegrassy "Man of Constant Sorrow" in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, just to name a few. The tone and lyrics of each of these songs are essential to evoking a particular atmosphere in key scenes. But that's about where the meaning ends - within those scenes.

Then consider the use of Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody to Love" in A Serious Man. The lyrics are not only key to the setting of the movie, but they are for the first time in a Coen film the backbone of the entire story. Recite the first two lines ("When the truth is found to be lies, and all the joy within you dies") and you have explained the philosophical underpinnings of Larry Gopnik's mid-life crisis. Which is to say you haven't explained anything at all. Let me try to explain.

Set in their home state at the time of their childhood, and featuring characters that have clearly influenced their storytelling style, A Serious Man exists not only as the most personally realized film of the Coens' 25 year-long career, but quite certainly one of their best. In fact, on close examination this is the film that explains the thirteen that preceded it. You see by this really-but-not-really autobiography how they must have viewed the world as children, surrounded by a culture (Jewish Midwestern) and cast of characters (quirky, disturbed, confused) that would leave an impression on anyone. Fortunately for all of us, the brothers have been sharing their peculiar outlook on life through their films for years, culminating in a melancholic masterpiece that will delight their fans as much as it disinterests their critics (all of them fools, anyway, right?).

"Receive everything that happens to you with simplicity," reads a rabbinical quote at the beginning of the film. This is followed by an absorbing and mysterious scene set generations ago in Poland. We're not sure who these characters are or what they're supposed to represent, but things start making sense as we're suddenly thrust into 1967 by those Jefferson Airplane lyrics. The song is playing in the earphones of Danny Gopnik (Aaron Wolff), but his father, Prof. Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), is the one who's figuratively hearing the words. He's a modern-day Job, navigating his way through a host of dilemmas related to his physical health, his marriage, his job, his children, his brother, his neighbor, his students, his - you get the picture.

Larry pleads to anyone who will listen, "I haven't done anything!," which is meant to both excuse and assuage himself but accomplishes neither objective. Like any rational person - particularly any rational person of faith, Larry eventually makes the mistake of looking for easy answers to the questions that burden his life, knowing no such answers exist but thinking he'll make a breakthrough nonetheless.

Not since John Turturro embodied Barton Fink has a character in a Coen brothers movie dredged through such ponderous philosophical terrain, and never have matters of faith been so deeply entrenched in one of their stories. A Serious Man provides no easy answers, and it's one of the few films they've made that actually poses heavy questions. Coen characters have had their shares of problems, that's a given, but none of them been so unjustly treated as Larry Gopnik - and even then actually been cognizant of it. 

Some of their "victims" (Ed Tom Bell, Ed Crane, Barton Fink) have been caught up in the wrong situation at the wrong time, whereas others have been weasels (Jerry Lundegaard, The Dude, Everett, most recently Osbourne Cox) who deserved the bad karma that was chasing them. And then there are the heroes - Norville Barnes, Tom Reagan, H.I. McDunnough, Marge Gunderson - who overcame some disadvantage to ultimately save the day.

But not Larry Gopnik - he's not a martyr or a hero or a crook. He's really trying to be "a serious man", trying as hard as he can to remain on the straight and narrow with his work, his family, and his faith. But it doesn't work. Something's askew in Larry's universe and disaster continues to strike, harshly and repeatedly. Everyone tells him to "see the rabbi", to which he scoffs like a teenager told to "turn down that music!". When he finally does see the rabbi(s), of course, his confusion increasingly ferments into frustration and despair. It's terrifying and, at times, hilarious.

It requires a capable actor to handle Larry's emotional nuances and deadpan reactions to the inevitability of life, and Michael Stuhlbarg is certainly up to the task. You would expect no less from the Coens in casting the rest of the characters, some of whom you'll recognize but 32 of whom are played by local actors here in the Twin Cities. Speaking of which, aside from a couple of obscure references (I'm sure the discussion about Ronald Meshbesher only produced riotous laughter in theaters here), you might never know that this story is set in Minnesota. 

I dare say that all of the hullabaloo about the local filming didn't even amount to much in terms of local sights, but nevertheless the culture is key and the Coens nailed it once again, from deer hunting to tornado drills to the Red Owl grocery chain. Roger Deakins doesn't do much to make our fair state look interesting, but he employs some of his favorite pitched-angle closeups that work in some scenes but fail in others. Carter Burwell also has fun with a moody score that ebbs and flows at just the right moments.

And, of course, the Coens once again hit their comedic notes with perfect pitch and timing. There are a few instantly classic lines ("Be out in a minute!", and "Look at the parking lot, Larry!"), not to mention the token one or two characters whose sole purpose appears to be comic relief (here, Sy Ableman and Rabbi Nachtner). Yes, there is a lot of comedy in A Serious Man, which seems in opposition to the depression I've described yet perfectly in line with the Coen brand of storytelling, which at the moment is of the highest quality.

Whether this will end up as successful either critically or commercially as their other films (a Best Picture nomination in an expanded field this year deserves to be considered an absolute lock) remains to be seen, but in any event I think A Serious Man will end up being many people's favorite Coen brothers movie. It's tenderly made, warm and strangely comforting, both because you can relate to Larry's suffering and be removed from it at the same time. 

In a way it's also like that Jefferson Airplane song, full of meaning yet difficult to explain. As you can see from my light treatment here, I've been thinking about this movie for the last week and I still don't know how to process it (and on what level - artistic, critical, philosophic?). I thought taking the time to actually sit down and write some thoughts would move me along, but I don't think I'm there yet and I may not be until I see it again. Better just let it continue marinating in the meantime and chalk this one up to that crafty Coen magic. 

Grade:
Writing - 10
Acting - 9
Production - 9
Emotional Impact - 9
Music - 5
Social Significance - 5

Total: 47/50= 94% = A