A Serious Man (2009)

A Serious Man: Directed by Ethan Coen, Joel Coen. With Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed, Sari Lennick. Larry Gopnik, a Midwestern physics teacher, watches his life unravel over multiple sudden incidents. Though seeking meaning and answers amidst his turmoils, he seems to keep sinking.

“Let me say up front that most fans of the Coen brothersu0026#39; early films might be disappointed if theyu0026#39;re expecting u0026quot;Fargou0026quot;, u0026quot;The Big Lebowskiu0026quot; or even u0026quot;O Brotheru0026quot;. Unlike those movies, here we donu0026#39;t have a lot of plot, comedy or action. The message of the film is very challenging, and it requires a lot of thought to figure out what theyu0026#39;re saying.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIu0026#39;d say this movie is for fans of the recent American films u0026quot;Synecdoche NYu0026quot;, u0026quot;Doubtu0026quot;, and the recent Japanese films u0026quot;Departuresu0026quot;, u0026quot;Yureruu0026quot; and of course the classics by Kurosawa like u0026quot;Rashomonu0026quot;. What Iu0026#39;m saying is that this is a film that tackles philosophical questions of perception, faith, and in particular, uncertainty.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf youu0026#39;ve had some physics, youu0026#39;re in for a real treat because much of the theme centers around Schrödingeru0026#39;s u0026quot;Uncertainty Principleu0026quot;, briefly touched upon in the Coensu0026#39; excellent 2001 film u0026quot;The Man Who Wasnu0026#39;t Thereu0026quot;. Here they give us a more powerful dose. If youu0026#39;ve never heard of this principle, donu0026#39;t worry, you can look it up on Wikipedia or you can accept my synopsis of it, which Iu0026#39;ll warn you might be flawed because I ainu0026#39;t no physicist:u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe Uncertainty Principle (or u0026quot;Schrödingeru0026#39;s Catu0026quot;) proves mathematically that certain events are unknowable. It proposes the idea of a cat that might be alive or dead, but we cannot know without looking inside the cage. At the same time, the minute we look inside the cage, the cat will be killed by a toxic gas. The bottom line: we canu0026#39;t know the answer. Ever.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFrom there, the movie explores how different people react when confronted with the unknown. Some form prejudices. Some fall back on faith. Some become faithLESS. And some just donu0026#39;t care.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis is a beautifully crafted film that shows us the nature of human beings in that respect. No, thereu0026#39;s not really a story. But it does even better than that: it challenges our minds to see elements of our own lives within the life of this ordinary schmuck. I am truly amazed at the Coensu0026#39; accomplishment, and I hope they continue in this direction in the future, though Iu0026#39;m sure it may hurt their mainstream appeal.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf you see this film u0026amp; like it, I think youu0026#39;ll really enjoy the other films Iu0026#39;ve listed as well as the Hungarian masterpiece u0026quot;Werckmeister Harmoniesu0026quot;, anything by Wim Wenders (u0026quot;The End of Violenceu0026quot; touches on the same Uncertainty Principle) and Orson Wellesu0026#39; u0026quot;The Trialu0026quot;.”