After a short sequence focused on a Jewish folk tale about kindness to strangers (it makes sense once you get into the meat of the story), A Serious Man focuses on a Jewish family in 1967. Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) is the head of the household and, except for a slightly strained relationship with his brother, Arthur (Richard Kind), things are great. He has a job as a physics professor, his son is about to become a man, and he has a nice house.
Then Larry's wife (Sari Lennick) tells him she's leaving him for another man and his kids become more interested in material things than their faith. At work, someone is threatening his tenure by sending anonymous letters and another student is attempting to bribe him for passing grades. On top of that, his brother gets in trouble and he starts fantasizing about his neighbor. This isn't the life Larry signed up for, but for the Coen Brothers, its pretty normal. Things continue to get even more bizarre, sending Larry on a quest to find three rabbis in order to make sense of things.
A Serious Man is a comedy, but not in a wacky, laugh-a-minute sense. The comedy is always there, but under a layer of absurdity and puzzles that may be hard for viewers just looking for a "normal" comedy. It's funny, but in that weird Coen Brothers way. Think The Big Lebowski or Raising Arizona and you're in the ballpark... or the parking lot at least. It's a slow burn, dry humor. I'd suggest checking out the extra "Hebrew & Yiddish for Goys" before watching the film. Much of the humor comes from understanding Yiddish/ Hebrew and the extra offers a leg up on the language. You don't have to watch it, but it helps.
I'm a big fan of Roger Deakins's cinematography, and A Serious Man is nothing short of breathtaking. This isn't the sort of movie I would normally suggest as a pick up on Blu-ray, but a great-looking film deserves the best possible format. The colors are sharp and crisp, the blacks are dark and every detail stands out. It's a low impact movie, but something to show off.
Other than the "Yiddish" extra, A Serious Man features only two other extras. "Creating 1967" is a short documentary on creating the film's look. If you have any interest in filmmaking, this is a must watch simply because of the level of detail featured. Every little detail is covered. "Getting Serious" is another in-depth "Behind-the-Scenes" feature, this time focusing on the Coen Brothers and cast members. If you've ever listened to the Coens, either in a documentary or on a commentary track, you know they don't disappoint. It's also a good dissection of the movie's characters and motifs and will likely fuel at least another viewing. Like the other two features, this is a must watch.
Any Coen Brothers fan will want to add A Serious Man to their collection, but anyone on the fence will want to give it a rent. This shouldn't reflect the movie's quality; it's a great film. But, at the same time, Coen Brothers' comedies are an acquired taste and not something for everyone.
