We saw the Coen brothers movie, "A Serious Man" last night at our local art theater that seats about 100 people at tables with comfy chairs and serves wine and snacks brought by waiters.
That is to say, this movie is not main stream.
But I was looking forward to it because I love most of the movies made by Joel and Ethan Coen. And they grew up very close to where Dave lives in Minnesota. in a middle class Jewish neighborhood, the sons of college professors.
This movie is about a college professor in a middle class Jewish community in Minnesota in the 70s.
The reviews for "A Serious Man" have been all over the place. The New Yorker called it "unwatchable" and our local reviewer said pretty much the same. But I looked up "Rotten Tomatoes" and they gave it a positive 85% on their TomatoMeter.
Many of the reviewers have likened the lead character to Job in the Bible. I don't think so. Job suffered mightily but he was strong, never gave up on God (even when his loving wife begged him to "curse God and die") and - in the end - Job comes out smelling like a rose.
But the movie is very, very Jewish.
The guy has no backbone. About the only thing he has going for him is his integrity and in the end he looses that.
Here's the worst part. He experiences nothing but pain and suffering, much of it brought on by himself - THEN THE MOVIE ENDS.
We don't know:
-If the tornado kills everybody.
-If he has lung cancer.
-If he goes home and tells his wife he's sleeping in his own bed and if she doesn't like it she can go sleep at the Jolly Roger.
-If he gets tenure.
-What the heck the Polish language beginning has to do with anything.
By the way, this is a comedy.
All of the above might make you think I hated "A Serious Man." But I didn't. I was fascinated by it.
Like one of the reviewers said, Go see it..."but you will not understand anything that's going on!"
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