A Serious Disappointment from the Coen Bros

This marks the second time that an eagerly awaited TIFF film I missed is a let down by the time I see it in general release. Proving high expectations beget disappointment, "A Serious Man" received rave reviews and I couldn't be a bigger fan of the Coen's body of work so I went in blind and with anticipation. Maybe I shouldn't have. One reviewer said it was their funniest film since "The Big Lebowski" and they did a tremendous disservice to my expectations, because that was all I needed to hear.

Had I known this was a modern retelling of the Book of Job set in the 60s and steeped very deeply in Jewish culture, I might've been able bone up on the subject a little and prepare for the bleakness to come in this black comedy. In a nutshell, we meet a decent, moral man (but essentially a schmuck) who is put upon by one personal disaster after another to ultimately no relief or redemption with no rhyme or reason to his misfortunes. It certainly is funny at times, but mostly it's leaving you with a feeling of "Haha. Ha. Heh. Hum. Er... wha?"

But the real problem here for enjoying this film is my limited knowledge of the Jewish faith and what it means to be Jewish leaves me out of the joke half the time and struggling to figure out what is going on. Quite simply, this is not a film made for the Gentiles and in that sense I really can't recommend it without that caveat.

To address that regrettable aforementioned Lebowski comparison: In thinking about it afterwards, whether intended or not, I do see some similar themes. Certainly "The Dude" also has one personal disaster after another that physically manifests more comically in the ultimate destruction of his beat-up, rust-bucket of a car. The Dude has so little to lose, that the soiling of his rug that really tied the room together is cause enough to go on a quest to find retribution. The ensuing adventures he becomes embroiled in along the way are what make the Big Lebowski great. And despite it all, he still gets laid too.

Whether under the duress of the obnoxious, vietnam vet Walter Sobchak (played by John Goodman) or not, I submit that Lebowski's Dude is more likable than Larry Gopnik of "A Serious Man" because the Dude actively tries to improve his situation while Larry just wonders why it's all happening to him and hopes that one of the three Rabbis can tell him what he should do. The phrase "God helps those who helps themselves" comes to mind, and it's kind of irritating, not quite funny, after a while to be following such a hapless schlep.

The underlying theme of life's cosmic joke and not knowing the higher meaning of it all is a far more palatable pill to swallow when surrounded by colourful characters that occupy the world of Lebowski, and more importantly, it's a story that does come to completion with a satisfying sense of closure which isn't a strong priority in the Coen's cinema of late (the great "No Country For Old Men" and not-quite-great "Burn After Reading" had that same kind of ending). It's the equivalent of gathering a stadium full of people that are hanging on your every word in a story and calling out "Figure it out!" as you walk away. Sometimes it's fun to analyze what it all means later, but moreso when you can say you enjoyed the ride in the first place.

I certainly don't fault the Coens for making a very personal film, and I'm not going to pass on seeing a Coen Bros film given the track record, but perhaps in future I'll be more informed of what I'm walking into. They'll have to do a lot more than that to get rid of me.

But nevertheless, thanks are due to The National Post for the free movie passes for this preview screening.