SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

RipDelight This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Suman Roberson It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

The Movie Diorama 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...

Kirpianuscus At first sigh, theirs names annswers to all questions. in reasonable way. because, it is a story about solitude, family crisis, Jewish humor and stereotypes, the need to adapte yourself to a world without meaning. in same ,measure, it is a challenge for viewer. to define himself. to be honest about the perspectivve about small details defining ordinary every day life. and this is the basic motif for see this special film.

erosthanatosfilms What could be said about this film that hasn't been poured over by film geeks already? The absurdist humor that fills each scene serves as a double for the exploration of life as a whole. After an interesting, albeit unrelated prologue we are introduced to a protagonist whose life is soon to be turned upside down when his wife asks for a divorce, both legally and religiously, so that she may marry a man whom with she may or may not be having an affair. He's up for tenure and the review board is receiving obscene letters in an attempt to damage his character. There's many factors at play, slowly working on him that act as cathartic humor to release the tensions of our own existential angst by seeing someone else go through all of the worst first world problems that a middle aged white man could go through in a lifetime. Definitely a must see for anyone that enjoys laughing at uncomfortable situations.

framptonhollis 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.