Movie Summary of A Serious Man by Michael the Moviegoer.
A SERIOUS MAN = **
“Lox, Stocks And Bagels”
Joel and Ethan Coen have cashed in some of their awards clout to make a small personal film about their Jewish upbringing in the midwest. “A Serious Man” has no movie stars in it. Except for Richard Kind as a crazy uncle, and a bizarre wordless cameo from “Barton Fink’s” Michael Lerner, there isn’t even a recognizable face in the cast.
While the movie is set in 1967, a nearly 10-minute opening scene which takes place over 100 years ago and is spoken in Hebrew is actually the film’s best moment. Taken out of context from this film, it could be an award-winning short all by itself. That said, it does suggest that after the first 10 minutes it’s all downhill.
Michael Stuhlbarg plays Larry Gopnik, a Jewish man trying to keep it together through the threat of losing his job, his wife having an affair, and his son’s impending bar mitzvah. The film becomes very talky and most of the jokes feel like “in” jokes that only Jews will find funny.
I get that it’s a personal pet project for the Coen brothers who hit it big with films like “Fargo” and “No Country For Old Men”. I admire them for their ambition to step outside the box and take a risk, which they have done in the past with more successful results. But the outcome here is a film that feels too empty to be taken seriously.
DVD Double Feature: Paul Weiland’s semi-autobiographical film “Sixty Six” is about a Jewish couple in England (played wonderfully by Eddie Marsan and Helena Bonham Carter) who are trying to give their son a very special bar mitzvah. But the date they have chosen coincides with the 1966 World Cup Final. Very touching, funny and heart-warming. A charming over-looked gem from 2006 which is now available on DVD.
Michael The Moviegoer
