The Runny Pen

Dozens of actors give the same report in regards to working with the Coen Brothers. They are of one mind and create an easy-going atmosphere on set. They want actors to stick to the text but encourage collaboration. They finish each other’s sentences and share the same nasal, dying-horse laugh.

As a viewer you know you’re in for quality filmmaking when you shell out eight bucks to see their latest film. The editing is a series of uncomforatble and sometimes laugh-out loud, abrupt juxtapositions. They always use stellar actors who give phenomenal performances. Constantly employing Roger Deakins (possibly the best living cinematographer whose work is a lesson in contrasts, so much so that he now posts lighting diagrams for his films online) speaks to their wisdom and supreme aesthetics. Coen Brothers’ films are meant to be seen in the theater and deliciously relived on DVD.

The brothers update forties era noir films in the vein of Raymond Chandler novels, stamping each film with their unique brand of modern sarcasm. Even their hits like “No Country For Old Men”, “Fargo”, “Raising Arizona” and ”The Big Lebowski” are stranger and more entertaining than the quirkiest independent films. Main characters often undertake an existential quest for the meaning of life and their sarcastic tone evades sentimentality. They don’t solve the life-riddle for their protagonist (except for maybe “Fargo” at the conclusion when Marge curls into the arms of her frumpy husband. After her ordeal, the gratitude for her boring, yet solid relationship is palpable). There is no question the Coen Brothers are the best directing duo of all time.

“A Serious Man” shares a few pages from their diary of a Jewish adolescence in late-sixties (early seventies?) Minnesota. I will see every single movie these guys make, but I cannot in good conscience recommend this one to anybody I know except the most obsessive film geeks whom I don’t have to recommend a Coen Brothers film to because, like me, they will see every one. I wont do a plot synopsis because you can read that in many other reviews. Plot can be overrated but this movie may have benefitted from having one.

I will say that the film begins with a scene from a hundred years ago Poland that I couldn’t connect to the rest of the film. If anyone other than Jewish filmmakers made this movie they would be accused of antisemitism. I certainly wasn’t offended, but I’ve never seen such a grotesque characterization of an ethnic group and wouldn’t be surprised if they receive a call from the Anti-Defamation League.

The main character, Larry Gopnik is such a passive, reactionary wimp that it is impossible to care if he makes it through his crisis or not. Unsympathetic and/or reactionary characters often work. Watch “Hud” with Paul Newman, you’ve never seen a bigger asshole and yet the writing, directing and performance force you to actually give a shit. Keanu Reeves’ Neo in “The Matrix” is reactionary throughout the entire film. It isn’t until the final three minutes of that movie that he becomes an active character. But through the mysterious alchemy of filmmaking these characters really work. Larry Gopnik does not.

I was so bored watching “A Serious Man” that I began rooting for Larry’s demise just to keep myself entertained. A few, cerebral half-chuckles escaped me but I was checking my watch halfway through the movie. I love open-endings and many of the Coens’ movies conclude in this fashion creating discussion over coffee afterwards. This ending was so random and abrupt that a guy in the theater actually yelled “what the fuck?” His tone wasn’t that of someone challenged or pondering, it was somebody who wanted his eight-bucks back.

This is one of their films that I wont rent on DVD, I won’t even add it to my Netflix queue unless I want to study cinematography. As with all of their work, “A Serious Man” feels like a studied piece by film school graduates. It is the story of Job from the bible, I get it, but this is the first time a Coen Brothers film felt like it had a ‘message’ (God doesn’t answer our questions) which always guarantees a boring experience. If I’m entertained and later recognize a message within a movie, I’m appreciative and enriched. But I’m starting to see that although these guys consistently churn out excellent filmmaking, they don’t always produce great stories. Many of their films are a series of funny vignettes. Even ardent fans are never going to rave about “The Ladykillers”, “Intolerable Cruelty” or now “A Serious Man” because though great art house fare, these are not great movies. “A Serious Man” is seriously flawed. I could almost hear the Coens’ horsey laugh in the background at this inside joke of a movie. It is true that many artists make art for themselves. I just hope next time the Coens include the rest of us.