Column:

‘Serious Man' provides serious laughs

By Thomas Leonard

Published Nov. 10, 2009

Armed with an earnest title and sharp interrogation of Jewish tradition and ritual, "A Serious Man" seems at face value to be a solemn look at the trepidations of '60s suburbia in the vein of last year's hyper-tense "Revolutionary Road."

But leave it to the Coen Brothers (writers and directors of modern classics "O Brother Where Art Thou?" and "No Country for Old Men") to turn a tale of a mid-life crisis laden with adultery and death into the quirkiest and funniest American black comedy since their 1996 smash "Fargo."

Drawing on that film's courageous, character-driven comedy and the subtle, atmospheric cinematography of "No Country," the Coens have made what could be their most richly layered film to date. It's a hauntingly hilarious and discomforting joyride that is, while unmistakably "Coen," unlike any movie you've seen. Best of all, "A Serious Man" is seriously funny.

"Man" is a modern spin on the story of Job (if Job were Jewish) set in a 1967 Minnesota suburb; Job is the unassuming Larry Gobnik (the convincing Michael Stuhlbarg), a physics professor whose professional and personal life begin crumbling around him. His son, Danny, two weeks from his bar mitzvah, smokes pot and fights with his bratty teen sister. Each tiptoes around Larry's live-in brother, Arthur (the wonderful Richard Kind), a mentally disturbed man who spends most of his time in the bathroom.

Keeping up appearances has not been easy for Larry, but matters only worsen when his emasculating wife Judith (an acid-tongued Sari Lennick) announces she's having an affair with a family friend and needs a divorce. Larry hurtles into an existential tailspin. His ensuing crisis of family, career and faith inspire the hilarious soul-searching that make "Man" such an immensely grim yet incredibly fun trip.

What a trip it is! Leave it to the Coens, the men behind "The Big Lebowksi," to orchestrate such a controlled chaos. There are drug-hazed dream sequences and creepy neighbors (thanks to the deadpan and hilarious performances by nearly every supporting cast member) that make every scene a surreal gem.

There is a tendency for "Man" to get less serious and a lot wackier but there is something to be said for the unnerving realism established throughout the film. Of course, the Coen boys were Jewish teens growing up in suburban Minnesota in the late '60s. Attention must be paid to the incredibly detailed Jewish traditions depicted, as well as the subtle but effective design and the committed performances.

Still, the film's heart is the writing. When Larry visits one rabbi, he hears a meandering story about a dentist searching for answers after seeing a Hebrew message inscribed on a patient's teeth. The extended tale makes for a tedious but uproarious scene, ending with Larry asking, "Well, what does it all mean," to which the rabbi replies "Eh, who cares?" This is a microcosm for the film itself — it's filled with questions, if not many answers, asked with a kind of deadpan humor that his you right on the funny bone.

This is far from traditional comedy: The humor is biting, the characters are often unlikable and the themes unapologetically sinister. But "A Serious Man," for its brave thematic chances and unconventional laughs, is my pick for must-see comedy of the season. Seriously.