Review: A Serious Man

The Coen brothers craft another unique and wonderful tale. Set in a Minnesota Jewish community, A Serious Man, is the story of Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg). Larry is a middle-aged Physics professor who is facing all sorts of life obstacles. The story follows Larry and his son Danny (Aaron Wolff) through their normal, everyday lives. But both characters are at an age where their lives are at a crossroads. Larry is waiting to see if he is going to be awarded tenure. Danny is preparing for his bar mitzvah.

While these major events worry Larry, there are many other things that get in the way. His wife wants a divorce, his family doesn’t respect him, and his life is starting to come to an important crossroads. Michael Stuhlbarg does an amazing job of unraveling throughout the movie. He slowly loses his grip as he is continually bombarded with the trials and tribulations of daily life. His acting genius is in his subtlety, and because Stuhlbarg is a relative unknown audiences will be more willing to buy into the character. Nearly all of the cast are relative unknowns, nothing the Coens’ can’t handle. They managed to get some great performances out of these actors. Most of the actors are very characterized and seem much like caricatures. Their appearances are a key part of their performances. The realistic environment they created feels so legitimate because all the characters are so authentic and genuine.

The story starts a little slowly. Larry and his situations take a little while to unravel and reveal. And once everything comes to fruition it moves rather quickly. Which is not a major flaw, but it feels like a bit of a shock after the slow beginning but that helps to add to the emotion. The events are very normal, they are very conceivable, and they happen to normal people. Watching a purely middle of the road, normal person go through these events can be riveting. Stuhlbarg does a fantastic job of navigating through these events. Sailing through unsteady seas and trying his best to hold himself together.

With a simple story, a wonderfully bland cast, and authentic retro-Americana settings, A Serious Man is another masterfully crafted Coen Brothers’ American epic.

4/5