2.5 of 5 stars
“It’s subtle. It’s clever. But is it convincing?”
So says Sy Ableman, the seemingly benevolent acquaintance of the Coen brother’s latest ill-fated protagonist.
The victim this time is Larry Gopnik, an average suburban- American Jew in the late 1960s, and Sy has actually stolen his wife (in a totally kosher way, of course). It’s one of many misfortunes to befall poor Larry, who seeks guidance from three very different rabbis, searching for the reason why God is punishing him.
Sadly, Sy’s commentary has to be turned on the movie itself. We know it’s subtle and clever, like everything the Coen brothers do. But for some reason it just isn’t that convincing this time around.
Their trademark black humor is neither particularly black nor particularly humorous. Save for Fred Melamed as Ableman, none of their actors stand out — they didn’t collaborate with any of their usual stars.
And the fool-proof crowd pleaser for any Coen brothers fan — a sudden act of unexpectedly brutal violence — is dearly missed.
The good thing about the Coens is that one can always appreciate what they’re trying to do, even if one doesn’t necessarily appreciate what they have done. “A Serious Man” is without a doubt a thought-provoking translation of “The Book of Job.”
Like the Hebrew parallelisms of the original poetry, the Coens’ inventive side plots and pensive long takes labor intensively over the question of human suffering, folding and unfolding in drowsy Semitic rhythm.
I can also say, without giving away too much, that God has a cameo out of the whirlwind that’s bewildering at first but increasingly meaningful the more I reflect on it.
But overall the Job-correspondence might be a little too perfect. It’s always infinitely frustrating to get to that point in Job where the poor guy finally receives his answer from God about why he suffers. “Where were you when I made the hippopotamus?” asked God rhetorically and senselessly. Had I been Job, I would have asked God what I now ask the Coens: “WTF are you talking about?”
