Data
Title: A Serious Man
Year: 2009
Length: 105 minutes
Directors: Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
Writers: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Starring: Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed, Sari Lennick, Aaron Wolff
Music: Carter Burwell (and non-original music)
Distinctions: Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay
My reaction
Synopsis: a man's life falls apart
How I saw it: in the theater, yesterday
Concept: Good. It's supposedly based on the book of Job. I'm gonna go ahead and tell you, though, they don't quite get to the part of the book where God brags about how awesome crocodiles are.
Story: Indifferent. Lots of bad things happen to a nice guy, and that's pretty much the whole movie. It's original and well-written for what it is, but hardly compelling.
Characters: Great. What the heck is up with Richard Kind's character? The movie's worth seeing, if only to be baffled by him.
Dialog: Great.
Pacing: Great.
Cinematography: Good.
Special effects/design: Great.
Acting: Great.
Music: Good.
Subjective Rating: 7/10 (Good). It could have used more humor. The protagonist is very sympathetic, and he's having a miserable time, so I suspect that kills a lot of the laughs. I'd probably like it more if I watched it multiple times.
Objective Rating: 3.4/4 (Very good).
I just saw this today. I'm not sure what I think about it. I think I'm going to have to watch it again. I just didn't "get it." And I hate to use that phrase, especially with a Coen brothers movie. I definitely have to watch it again.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I found it hard to judge, too. I don't know what I'd make of it if I watched it again. I assume I would like it more, since it's the Coens and that's how their movies usually work. But apart from liking it, I've got no idea what my reaction would be.
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