A Serious Man ****

Writers/Directors: Joel & Ethan Coen

Year: 2009

Cinematographer: Roger Deakins

This adaptation of the story of Job, revives that nagging religious question, "why do bad things happen to good people?" Larry Gopnik, as played perfectly by Michael Stuhlbarg, accompanied by a stellar cast filling every role with great performances, searches for meaning in the words of the religious experts, and still comes up empty handed.

Therefore, when he loses his faith in doing the right thing no matter what, takes the opportunity life's randomness offers him, making a decision that is dishonest, but totally understandable, maybe even deserved... we come to the last minute of the film, which does not offer resolution for Larry, but almost a tone of doom. If he felt punished by God before he did something wrong, then how is he going to feel once the impending doom of the final shot hits his family just after actually making an unethical decision?

Seems clear to me that the Coen's opinion on religion is "stop looking for coherent meaning or answers for the mysteries of life, some of it is random, some is the fault of other people choosing to hurt you, and some people have all the bad luck."

But it is interesting when thinking about the intro to the film, a short scene in which a woman, confident in her right action, stabs what she believes to be a ghost with an ice pick. Evil seemingly goes away, conquered by the confidence of a "righteous" or "self-righteous" woman.

We don't know what the consequences are for her, if there are any, as we don't know for certain what the consequences are for Larry when he loses his confidence and falters from the righteous path. Though the sense of impending doom is much greater in Larry's case.

Therefore maybe the Coens are saying "you can't understand it, but its better to think you understand it and to be confident in the way that you live, making decisive choices, than to let life confuse and frustrate and run-over you."

Excellent direction, acting, and script. Great film, can't wait to see it again.