By Nicholas Proch
Michael Stuhlbarg. Many of us didn’t know that name before he appeared on Boardwalk Empire. Before he played Arnold Rothstein on the HBO series, who famously rigged the 1919 world series while betting on the Chicago White Sox, now dubbed the ‘Black Sox’, he had only landed minor roles.
It was his work in A Serious Man that opened the door for Stuhlbarg to take larger roles.
The 2009 film, written and directed by the heralded Coen brothers [No Country for Old Men, Fargo], is another masterpiece in the eyes of those who really work to understand their dark level of comedy.
Stuhlbarg, who plays lead character Larry Gopnik, nails it. He’s a physics professor in Minnesota in 1967, who happens to be a very tight-wound jew. Gopnik is nervous, unsure and now being left by his wife for the much older Sy Albeman.
His life unfolds on the screen during the two hour piece. Gopnik’s son is experimenting with drugs while he’s supposed to be getting ready for his bar-mitzvah, his brother Arthur (played by Richard Kind) is an unwanted house guest who is convinced that he has found the key to the universe through his math and he is being forced out of him home by his wife and Sy. It’s these elements, and many more, that make this film a pleasure to watch.
You can’t say enough about the direction from the Coen brothers. They have a complete vision for their work, which they carry out to the fullest. There are scenes in which Gopnik is searching for the answer to his troubles from his faith. The level of awkwardness created between the rabbi and Gopnik is captured through clever editing and strong flashbacks and cut scenes.
A ‘get’. What is a ‘get’? Before you watch this film you might have no idea what a ‘get’ is. It’s a recurring plot device which shows up throughout the movie. Sy Ableman and Judith Gopnik, are asking Larry for a ‘get’. ‘Get’. ‘Get’. ‘Get.’ It’s mentioned in the film enough times to make you nauseated. But what is it? That’s the humor in it. It’s never fully explained to Gopnik, making your time spent watching even more frustrating.
This frustration is what should make you want to watch this movie. It’s not frustrating in the sense that you’re going to get pissed off, but in the sense that you’ll be grabbing your sides as you feel bad for Gopnik and his trail of misfortunes.
One of the things that the Coen brothers do especially well in all their films are their written dialogues. Every line seems unplanned and surprising, but this is only due the combination of the script and talented actors. There are long scenes which rely on conversations and nothing else. There is sometimes no movement and no action, but it works. However, what works well is the book ends to these dialogue-heavy scenes. They’re entertaining, fast and they often have kick-ass 60’s music playing.
If you’re a fan of the Coen brothers and their work, then you should absolutely check out A Serious Man. It’s a strong effort from the pair that doesn’t get enough attention. That’s surprisingly simple considering this work is sandwiched by No Country for Old Men and True Grit.
