The Coen Brothers make movies that have their own mythologies. There’s always a larger context that their movies fit within. Maybe that’s what makes them so enjoyable to watch – just knowing that there’s more to each film than what you actually see. There’s a history for the worlds that their movies take place in, so that you feel like you’re only getting to see the tip of the iceberg, and that there’s an ocean of more story beneath the surface. A Serious Man leaves a lot of room for imagination, about what the movie is about, and where the movie could go. We only get to see a snippet of the Gopniks’ family turmoil. But it’s enough to give the audience that creative spark. I’d like to watch this again, because I think there are a lot of metaphors to contemplate, and a lot of hidden meaning to uncover. This is the type of movie that probably gets better with age.
4 out of 5 stars