A Serious Man

[polkablues]

It plays like Lebowski, but resonates like Fink.

Pull-quote of the century. I want them to put that on every poster.

[Pozer]

GT Sleepless will hate love it.

but he'll only say, "Saw the movie. So, I'm back into the Coens."

and then picolas will say, "again, howsa bowsa useful review?"

and then SiliasRuby will say, "Jesus, you're a cynical dick."

and then Jesus poster will say, "Am not."

this place is so cliche. 

[modage]

I really liked this.  I can't believe this is the first Coen Bros. movie since The Big Lebowski I haven't seen on opening weekend (or sooner).  This washes the bad taste of Burn After Reading away but really isn't like any of their other films.  The film shows how absurd and futile religious institutions are AND acts as a morality play.  The time and place is so specific (and Jewish!) I wish I had known some of the more insider-y jokes, but I think the way the film ends made it jump up a whole grade for me.  Stacking this and No Country For Old Men together gives me hope we still haven't seen everything the Coens are capable of.

SPOILER

The ending?  Wow!

END SPOILER

[samsong]

loved this.  i'm hard-pressed to think of another film that's as bizarre and bleak in equal measure, all while being hilarious.  does this then earn the overused adjective "unique"?  roger deakins (along with agnes godard) is the best cinematographer working today.  performances are stellar.  KOREANS!!!  the coens continue their doomsday prescience from no country for old men and have made another great, essential american film.  had burn after reading not blown, this would've been a most impressive three-film streak.

[JG]

might be their best movie. funniest of year.

[samsong]

might be their best movie.

a claim i reserve for barton fink.  meer sir my sir.

[JG]

its true, barton fink is one of my personal favorites, and probably the closest in tone to a serious man. they're at their best when straddling the line between farce and drama. also, fred melamed as sy ableman for best supporting actor!

[samsong]

you mean francis ford coppola, right?

[picolas]

*SPOILS!*

obviously there are a lot of messages and themes and illustrations.. some of them i'm grappling with.. i don't know whether the coens are suggesting one thing or another, but the way they suggest is so brilliant that i can't help but love the movie no matter what. the sum of the parts is the experience.. the odd hilarity and terribleness and warmth and frustration and randomness of it all.

i'm personally offended by the idea that large-scale accidents are based on anything but randomness. i hate when people attribute the idea of god to that sort of thing because they're basically saying that every person involved must have deserved their fate. it's a waste of the human spirit to try to find any kind of 'reasoning' or 'plan' behind disasters. they're unfortunate events, and we're frail beings. no one is being 'punished' by some kind of judicial universe.

'accepting the mystery' is a key part of handling existence, but to me there's no mystery as far as hurricanes and bad x-rays are concerned. i think the point of the x-ray is that we're dead no matter what. the staging of the changing of the grade right before to the phone call is begging for the idea of "judgement", but clearly all his actions had no effect on the results because they were measured beforehand, so i'm not sure. i think the nature of the philosophy behind this movie is much more revelatory to people coming from a religious background like the coens. i'm not coming from there. i also think that there are many more layers to this movie. i feel like i've just met it and every time i see it it's going to change. the image of the hurricane in the face of a loan is great. as is that whole motherfucking teeth sequence.. holy shit.

forgetting the philosophy, every single person in this movie is PERFECT. i want them all to be in more movies. i can't believe this is the wife's only credit on imdb. i know she's a stage actress, but come onnn! be in more things!! the cinematography is also flawless. as is the editing.. it's just a supremely well-crafted movie and a JOY to watch despite how uncomfortable it gets. that much is undeniable.

[ᾦɐļᵲʊʂ]

I mean, just look at that parking lot!

[pete]

crimes and misdemeanors 2009

[ᾦɐļᵲʊʂ]

crimes and misdemeanors 2009

In what way(s)?

[Gamblour.]

This movie made me very sad. Do not see it the day before your birthday.

[ᾦɐļᵲʊʂ]

After it says "No animals were harmed in the making of this film" in the credits, a few lines down it also says "No jews were harmed in the making of this film."

[picolas]

so apparently the coens discussed this on charlie rose last night and i missed it and can't find it anywhere. help meee!

edit: found in the most obvious place possible. http://charlierose.com . don't think it'll be on the front page for long.