Review of A Serious Man (2009) by Mikeg. — 15 Nov 2009

I suppose the Book of Job comparisons are inevitable, but A Serious Man reminds me more of Barton Fink 40 years later. Larry Gopnik wanders the world looking for answers but like Fink is mostly oblivious to the world around him both from an emotional and spiritual standpoint.

Unlike Job, Gopnik's unraveling is neither accidental nor random and is a product of his own actions or inaction. Thrown into all of this are the usual great touches by the Coens. They nail the period, throw in some great jokes, and mine some terrific performances out of the cast.

This film isn't quite up to their best, but it does take me back to some of their older, quirkier stuff and is more lively than anything they've done in years.