Written & Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen
I went in to it not knowing anything about the story, but I knew it was a Coen Brothers film. And it turmed out to be very much in the style that they are known for and have mastered. A lot of people always say that you can tell true masters of cinema when they can go in between genres seemlessly in the same film and I have always thought of Joel and Ethan like that. This film is not different. With a storyline as bleak and even depressing as this, how do they manage to make it hysterically funny too?
What they do is paint such vivid and interesting characters. Larry, Cy, the kids, and even the rabbis. Cy especially is fascinating. His use of words is astounding and extremely funny. But my favorite part of the film came from one of the rabbis. When he told the story about Dr. Lee Sussman, I could hardly stop laughing. It was a beautifully spun tale with lots and lots of humor.
Despite the terrible position and condition of Larry Gopnik, you can’t help bt laugh at the events that unfold, and how they unfold. But at the same time you do feel for him. If A Serious Man were a person, it’d be the most Jewish person I know. And I mean that in the best of ways.
Corndog Chats 