A Serious Man 2009
I picked this movie up using a Screen Pass. It got great reviews generally, was nominated for Best Picture, and it is by the Coen brothers, who I generally like, or at least make things that are interesting. I can see how some people will love the black comedy aspects of this movie as a normal guy is crapped on by life and everyone around him who should care for him. I know it is the Coens and not meant to be realistic, but some of the people, particularly his children, are just horrible, lacking any shred of humanity. Some people will laugh at that, but you see parts of this all around, so it isn’t like it is a complete fantasy. You end up spending two hours watching a guy struggle and writhe in pain as he is tortured by people around him. It took me a long time to get through this movie, watching over three days and sometimes surprised how little progress I was making in this slog. Being a movie mostly about divorce, there just isn’t much positive about it, since everyone seems to lose in a divorce, and it makes a pretty miserable movie as well. Michael Stuhlbarg’s acting as the sap at the center of the story is very good, but there is a smugness to most of the rest of the cast where everyone seems to be thinking what a gift their performance is and how hilariously understated they are being (certainly this is what the directors were after). If you don’t mind the edge that this movie lives on, maybe it would be enjoyable, perhaps by people who like horror movies where everyone gets terrified and/or killed. This is sort of a real life horror movie. I think on repeated viewings as you focus less on what is happening (and ultimately not happening since it has one of those endings) and more on the acting and the trials this guy is put through, it could get better, but I have no plans to see it again.
Written: 15 Oct 2021