A Serious Man feels – initially, at least – like a return to an earlier kind of filmmaking for the Coens.
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11/20/09
A Serious Man (2009)
87
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:160
Fresh:139
Rotten:21
Average Rating:7.8/10
Consensus: Blending dark humor with profoundly personal themes, the Coen brothers deliver what might be their most mature -- if not their best -- film to date.
Rated: 15 [See Full Rating]
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:20-11-2009
Synopsis: Imaginatively exploring questions of faith, familial responsibility, delinquent behavior, dental phenomena, academia, mortality, and Judaism - and intersections thereof - A Serious Man is the new... [More]
Starring: Michael Stuhlbarg, Fred Melamed, Richard Kind, Aaron Wolf
Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Reviews for A Serious Man
Euphoric, sad and thoughtful all at once... The Coens have finished the noughties as America's pre-eminent film-makers.
11/20/09
Top CriticIt's impeccable filmmaking, with the Coens' expert writing, directing and editing enhanced by Roger Deakins' vibrant cinematography.
11/20/09
While the plot might not have the epic sweep of No Country For Old Men or be the comedy bloodbath of Fargo, this film is every bit their equal.
11/20/09
A complex, non-commercial Coen film that strips back the stars for an absorbing, affectionate look at the Bros’ youth.
11/20/09
A Serious Man may be the Coens' most personal film, but the humour's too oblique to truly trouble the funnybone.
11/27/09
This film is at once laugh-out-loud funny and deeply serious, troubling and satisfying, warm and bleak, both respectful of the Jewish heritage and mocking its restrictions and false comforts.
11/27/09
Not vintage Coen brothers... but they're still filmmakers to love, even if they sometimes make it increasingly difficult to do so.
11/20/09
A bold, unique, exquisite gem.
11/20/09
The film is slow-burning and lugubrious but there is some amusement to be found in the parade of eccentric individuals, running jokes and repetitive dream sequences served up to illustrate the fact that life is one big cosmic joke.
11/20/09
A Serious Man represents the brothers at their sardonic best, wringing a sacrilegious amount of gallows humour from the trials of their latterday Job.
11/20/09
Top CriticRigorously controlled, perhaps at the expense of a little emotional light and shade, this is one of the Coens' subtlest films. Expect smiles, grimaces, a slightly furrowed brow, and, finally, a feeling of satisfaction.
11/20/09
Admirably low-key, deeply compelling and their warmest movie since Fargo.
11/20/09
Top CriticFor proof of comedy and tragedy’s close relationship, watch this. Larry is essentially having a nervous breakdown yet it’s the Coens’ most humanely funny script in years.
11/20/09
The human comedy as portrayed in this film was never so cruel — or so funny.
11/27/09
Possibly the brothers' most consistently amusing film since The Big Lebowski.
11/20/09
Top CriticThere’s no real answer given, but then the Coen brothers have never been known as philosophers. They are, however, pretty smart film-makers.
11/20/09
The Coen brothers most personal film to date, a typically shkrewy look at Jewishness that smartly nails the ticky-tackiness of American suburbia in 1967.
11/20/09
It's challenging, only if you want it to be. The secret to enjoying it, like life, is not to obsess over the bits that don't appear to make sense.
11/20/09
The Coen brothers may just have made their masterpiece with this, their 14th feature and yet another hairpin-bend change of direction, which has been their trademark for their entire career.
10/30/09
Top CriticLatest News for A Serious Man
October 19, 2009:
Total Recall: The Best-Reviewed Coen Brothers Films
For more than two decades now, Joel and Ethan Coen have been thrilling critics -- and, here and there, audiences -- with their distinctive blend of dark humor, colorful... More...
October 01, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Zombieland Is Bloody Good
This week at the movies, we've got zombie zaniness (Zombieland, starring Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg); derby dolls (Whip it, starring Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page);... More...
September 25, 2009:
Friday Harvest: A Serious Man, Up in the Air, and more!
Happy Friday Harvest, a weekly round-up of the best pictures, posters, and videos that have become available for viewing/download on Rotten Tomatoes. Each section features the... More...
September 09, 2009:
Buzz Builds for Toronto International Film Festival Offerings 
It'll feature more than 250 films from 60 countries, but don't feel overwhelmed -- the Los Angeles Times is here to help you sift through what's on offer at this year's Toronto... More...
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