Watch A Serious Man For Free

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Simply A Masterpiece

Good movie but grossly overrated

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Admittedly I am not the biggest fan of the Coen brothers. I find their films slightly derivative, particularly their black comedies, that rely too heavily on religious subtext to convey a modern character. This time, they tackle Judaism. A religion more personal to the directors, where their heritage bursts through the screen. But it is too overpowering? A family man has his life crumble within days after his wife files for divorce, his career takes a stumble and his family remain mysterious to him. With both his personal and professional life in turmoil, this leads him to question his own faith. Challenging themes of mortality, misfortunate and Jewish traditions, the Coens have crafted an intimate character study that utilises dark humour for dramatic intentions. The eccentric comedy surprisingly flows well, whether it be self-referencing specific Jewish routines (specifically a "Get") or an older teacher experiencing earphones for the first time. It adds light buoyancy to the subtext heavy screenplay, resulting in a more entertaining film than the title suggests. Stuhlbarg gives a nuanced central performance which is certainly one of his career bests. Quirky yet commanding. Clean direction from the Coens and consistently wonderful cinematography from Deakins. Yet, again, I find myself grasping for more. Maybe I'm too oblivious to some of the more subtle themes, but I find some of the execution rather pretentious and unnecessary. The five minute prologue illustrating a Dybbuk felt out of place, and I'm sure you will all tell me "you're wrong". Aside from Stuhlbarg, no one else stood out which consequently left many other characters distant and cold. Even as a non-fanatical critic, this is not the Coens best. Although, it is undeniably intelligent, aesthetically pleasing and unsurprisingly witty. Stuhlbarg saves this from a complete serious bland bore. Maybe, just maybe, I've come to the realisation that I'm not ever going to truly appreciate the ingenuity of the Coens...

I tried a lot to not sleep, but I failed after one hour. What was that stupid schroedinger's cat thing?Three stars just for Michael Stuhlbarg act.

Sorry, but I grew up in MN, and there were never this many Jews in the state. Don't know why it had to be Jewish, since they only make up less than 1% of the entire population of the whole country.

The Coen Brothers are masters of their craft. Few filmmakers today can combine genres, produce stunningly original stories, and master every aspect of cinematic technique like they can. "A Serious Man" is among their most recent efforts, and it is also among their greatest.It's a black comedy that relies more on character and situation than actual plot (somewhat like another darkly humorous Coens masterpiece, "Inside Llewyn Davis") that focuses around a middle aged Jewish father and husband whose life transforms into a storm of chaos and really, REALLY bad luck. Here, the Coens wonderfully weave elements of hilarious humor and gut wrenching tragedy all at once. Some scenes are both sad and funny, and the Coens are such masters that these two genres to not clash together in a chaotic way, but, instead, a very natural, effective way. The Coens realize that even when life is at its absolute worse, it can still be hilarious-which is really the essence of dark humor within itself. It makes the worst, most miserable aspects of being funny.There is no real happy ending here, much is left unresolved. It is a mysterious ending, the type that audiences like to groan at. However, for a film as unique and dark as this it works quite well. There is no need for a resolution, the ending itself is powerful enough to conclude the fascinating fable. The final shot of this film is so beautiful, haunting, and indescribably sad it packs a punch for the ages.