Seen 3/30/15
2.5/4 or 3/4
I am not sure how autobiographical A Serious Man really is. The answer matters though.
The Coens are Jewish, and this film takes place entirely within a Jewish community and paradigm. But one assumes that the filmmakers are in the perspective of looking back on a Jewish life and worldview after maturing. If the film ends up not being based on life events and characters, or only very loosely, it is a baffling art piece. This is more than just absurdity--the Coens are subtle and thoughtful, and there's a great chance that this film is allegorical in the same way as O Brother, Where Art Thou? In such a case there would be a lot to chew on here. Otherwise, if the film is just a meditation on the brothers' upbringing, a small picture painted with visionary creativity and skill as nothing more than a "project" which grapples playfully with characters and events of their past, I would regard it as just a funny and inventive quirk of a movie.
Indeed, it is a pretty funny movie, and it is very interesting the way characters interact with each other, with the world and with themselves. I definitely think that there are profound ideas behind the entertainment; I trust the Coen brothers. Either way, it is an innovative and enjoyable film.
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