Review of A Serious Man (2009) by Ivan O — 16 Feb 2014

It is considered that the key to "A Serious Man" is the story of Job. He led a righteous life, firmly believed in God, and instead he was sent a material prosperity and a strong family. The devil decided to tempt the saint and took up pleasures of his life. However Job humbly took all the hardships, kept the faith, and only wanted to know, that he suffers unjustly. The rule is simple: God gave, God took away. We need to accept all the trials of life with humility, and then we will be rewarded. But sometimes it is hard in difficult life situations not to wonder: what do I do? What did I do wrong?

Coen brothers in their film do not blaspheme, they do not deal with the existence of God, but at the same time they quite easily make fun of the Jewish community's way, which is like a projection of the our society. Simply that small little world is closer to the directors.

So to the poor Larry like magic are spilling unhappiness. Do not go well with children, wife wants a divorce, a neighbor treacherously breaks on its territory, and the work may be fired. And Larry Gopnik confused, he cannot understand what is happening. All Larry's attempts to comprehend the essence of what is happening to him, all the talk with the rabbis, doctors, lawyers do not produce absolutely no effect, and even on the contrary, it looks ridiculous. The main Larry's disadvantage is that he is not trying to solve the problem, he trying to understand their causes. Larry abstracted from all over the world, he is shrouded veil of absurdity of his thoughts. The hero is too serious to recognize the absence of the deep meaning in the bad luck in his life. He plunges himself into a depression, unconsciously believing himself just a puppet. People often simply does not come to mind that clock can exist without a watchmaker.

One day in the end of the lecture Larry says: «Even if you do not understand, you will have to answer at the next examine». Even if in the end we will not know how everything in our world is arranged, we still have to answer for our actions. And then have a weight of our concrete affairs, not empty inaction flavored no less empty arguments about life.

The movie's prologue is interesting because of its ambiguity. We can assume that the brothers just laugh at the audience, making it search for a hidden meaning. I believe that the directors were trying to say about the transience, the randomness of life, and even about some impending doom. Wounded dybbuk went out of the house, and soon he will die. But the heroes of the prologue don't know when. So we are born, we go in life, but all without exception sooner or later die. No one knows exactly when it will happen.

Gradually Larry's problems somehow dissolve. Miracles do happen, and he lives at home again, he was not fired from his job, and his son like magic passed the ceremony of initiation. However, in the end sounds an alarm bell from the doctor, and we can assume that Larry Gopnik is terminally ill, he is the dybbuk. So what is happening with him at all did not make any sense. But Maybe he is not sick. Brothers Cohen just trying to say that you can die at any time. Before death does not matter how much you suffered, feeling sorry for yourself and that you're trying to find answers to some ridiculous questions. It is important, what you managed to do and what not. And these twenty dollars is not wanted, even children understand it. Well, while you are alive, «you better find somebody to love».

The movie is a monotonous, and because the idea of «A Serious Man» is caught quickly, it looks a bit boring. Creates the impression that the Coens just for themselves invent new challenges for Larry. The actors played their roles great, all the heroes are remembered with something. In general there is nothing to complain about, except that sometimes filmmakers forget that their movie will watch other people.

Better than, A. O. Scott did not summarize: «Human existence and attempts to comprehend it are empty and vain, although you can good laugh about it». Coen brothers filmed delicious satirical drama, for which they thank.