New Coen Bros, A Serious Man

I just found out from my dad that Amy Landecker, who plays Mrs. Samsky, is my aunt Paula's stepdaughter and that, according to a Chicago Tribune interview, she modeled her performance after my aunt. o_O

I loved loved loved this.

Movie's only weakness was that despite Sy Ableman's character being amusing as all get out I found it somewhat difficult to believe that Gopnik's wife would actually fall for someone that thoroughly unexciting (not to mention so completely unctuous.) But that minor stretch of credulity aside, it was pitch perfect.

Ableman does come off as unctuous, but I can also see how his touchy-feeliness could represent an attractive alternative to Larry's essential conservativism.

I couldn't quite see it, but it's a minor complaint cuz Ableman's character is so hilariously funny that I was able to overlook it.

The bar mitzvah sequence definitely belongs on my list of favorite drug freak-out sequences ever.

anyone know if / when this will get nationwide release? or will i have to wait until it comes to the arthouse cinemas here?

It was art-house here in SF. About 25 people in the theater for the bargain matinee show and all members of the tribe. One guy put his hand on my shoulder warmly (Sy Ableman style) and nodded at me as he was walking by during the closing credits.

I tried to go see this on Saturday (5:15 show) at the local multiplex here in NJ. Sold out. I was not expecting that. I didn't know that many people wanted to see this.

"do you take advantage of the new freedoms?" IS a good line. I was thinking more of Danny's bar mitzvah being lame-o (bound to be Lebowski fans' fave).

I saw this at an Upper West Side matinee with maybe 7 people in the theater. I was the only one laughing much of time. (I know for sure a few of them didn't recognize the "Somebody to Love" lyrics when they are recited.)

"Look at the parking lot!" (Actually the junior rabbi has a point, but it's really not what Larry needs to hear.)

"bound to be Lebowski fans' fave"

Thinking it had more to do with being at bar mitzvah's and wishing I was stoned, frankly.

Kid on the school bus who called everyone a fucker: A+

also the dental story rabbi George Wyner told.

Junior rabbi was hysterical. Definitely my favorite of the three rabbi sequences. I liked the story of the goy's teeth, but it felt like it maybe belonged in a different Coen bros movie.

That fucker.

I also liked the kid who called every joint a fucker, "gimmee that fucker".

Sequence with Korean dad where he's explaining that he's going to sue Larry for defamation and bribe-taking was also priceless.

SPOILERS, obv

also I had audibility problems with the wife's line at the bar mitzvah: did she cop to writing the defamatory letters to the tenure committee?

I thought the handling of Sy's death was odd -- was it clearly established it was in the same chain-reaction accident that Larry caused, or elsewhere?

"also I had audibility problems with the wife's line at the bar mitzvah: did she cop to writing the defamatory letters to the tenure committee?"

No she let slip that Sy had been writing letters to the committee.

"I thought the handling of Sy's death was odd -- was it clearly established it was in the same chain-reaction accident that Larry caused, or elsewhere?"

Elsewhere.

Of course she thinks those letters were laudatory, Larry knows (or suspects) otherwise.

OK, I figured Sy was a much more logical candidate.

I hope you all stayed for nearly-the-last credit: "No Jews were harmed in the making of this film."

(well, I know jaymc left cuz watching the credits is too snobby)

Richard Kind gives a really heartbreaking performance as the genius brother. I thought that last dream sequence was unnecessarily vicious.

(well, I know jaymc left cuz watching the credits is too snobby)

What!

I left because my meter was 15 minutes expired!

Usually I like to stay for the whole credits, though:

Especially with movies that are heavy or intense or draining in some way, the credits give you an opportunity to let everything settle.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, March 1, 2005 3:27 PM (4 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I was sure you once said staying thru end-credits was a transparent attempt to impress others. Apologies if I'm mistaken.

(I'm sure you know who actually posted that if I'm wrong, you trainspotter)

This, maybe?

Sneaking food into movies is classic. Sneaking booze is even better. And reading all of the credits is the lamest sort of pseudo-movie-buff snobbery unless you're just trying to ID a certain song or actor. In which case who cares if people are being noisy and walking around? If you really hate people so much that you can't deal with the natural sort of interruptions that occur in a movie theater you should really just stay home with a DVD.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, March 1, 2005 8:26 PM (4 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

To which you replied, two years later:

btw, "walterkranz" needs to eat shit.

― Dr Morbius, Wednesday, July 25, 2007 8:46 AM (2 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I saw this Friday before last at the Uptown theater in Minneapolis. The big laughs were local: the Red Owl supermarket, Embers, and real-life superlawyer Ron Meshbesher. My friend Ari played the colleague whose scenes all involved standing in the doorway of Gopnik's office.

Your friend (who looks eerily like Ira Glass) was great.

"bound to be Lebowski fans' fave"

Thinking it had more to do with being at bar mitzvah's and wishing I was stoned, frankly.

― Alex in SF, Monday, October 19, 2009 1:53 PM (32 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

for me it had to do with actually being stoned in synagogue haha

"I thought the handling of Sy's death was odd -- was it clearly established it was in the same chain-reaction accident that Larry caused, or elsewhere?"

Elsewhere.

― Alex in SF, Monday, October 19, 2009 2:01 PM (26 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

it was sort of retroactively established in that scene. can't wait to watch it again.

"for me it had to do with actually being stoned in synagogue haha"

I only went to synagogue for bar mitzvahs so my opportunities were more limited heh.

^^^Priceless exchange. Real-life superlawyer used to have the absolute epitome of keys-in-the-ashtray '70s parties.

Ari's comedy record:
http://www.arihoptman.com/index_files/dang.jpg

(Did not know that about the superlawyer!)

Eazy, I'm from St. Louis Park; ma famille has lived there for three generations and I have school friends who pepper this film with their extraness. That I didn't get to see it when home last week is a major bummer for me seeing as the fam are two miles from the theatre. NB am not a member of the frozen Chosen, but my mom throws Yiddish phrases into the mix and makes seriously amazing matzoh ball soup, which she attributes to growing up there.

Yeah, as with Hold Steady songs, I'm just glad to have good songs/movies/etc. that actually overlap with my specific childhood memories (born in the St. Louis Park hospital, though grew up in Burnsville, school in inner-city St. Paul and then Golden Valley).

yeah the MNness is def something I'm interested

would everyone agree this film does not hate Judaism, or the main character?

Yeah, I seriously don't understand that complaint. Ella Taylor's got some weird issues.

That cropped up in enough places for me to get all WTF about it.

ppl always complain that the coens are too mean

LOL remembering Minnewegian accent controversy re: Fargo and my opinion being OH YES YOU DO SOUND LIKE THAT. I mean, OH YAH, YOU BETCHA.

and sometimes I'm one of them, but many other films are more guilty of it. xp

suzy I like this credit of yr friend's:

"Mystery Science Theater 3000" .... Pancake Breakfast Extra

I think that's Eazy's friend.

I did not think Fargo was mean wrt lol mn accents! Ppl talk that way!

xp (The confusion is understandable, though.)

yeah

That MST3K guy is friends with my cousin - but I knew his brother Ch4d. My friend Avr0m is in the bar mitzvah scene.

chfourd?

surely you've never used a number in place of a letter, s1ocki?

I def. agree the movie didn't hate Larry, at all. It didn't hate Judaism either, it had more of a "humans not fitting into divine systems" thing going on.

surely you've never used a number in place of a letter, s1ocki?

― Yo! GOP Raps (suzy), Monday, October 19, 2009 4:50 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

n0 n3v3r

Watched this again for the first time in years. Still think it's the most Jewish movie ever made. Still love it, one of their top films. So many incredible beats, many I missed the first time, or at least didn't remember. It's so, so, so dark, but in a really subtle way. In a lot of ways it's the opposite of the famous flood rescue/helicopter parable, only instead of God sending help, it's him sending, again and again, terrible things, and yet Larry keeps asking, what does it mean? What am I supposed to think? And then the tornado at the end is basically God finally saying, jeez, do I have to make it downright Biblical for you?

My wife was in awe of the period set design, but did catch one little mistake: the scene at the empty swimming pool, there's a No Diving sign. She pointed out that in the late '60s it would not have had a No Diving sign, though it sure as hell would have still had a diving board.

Still think it's the most Jewish movie ever made.

In terms of Judaism in North America, no contest. It might not map into Old World quite as snugly, e.g. a Sephardi might nominate some other movie.

No, I live at the Jolly Roger.

Rabbi Marshak reciting the names of Jefferson Airplane and shrugging as he gives up trying to pronounce Jorma's last name cracks me up very time.

OTM re "most Jewish movie". Was genuinely brought to tears the first time I saw this, watching suburban Jewish idiots like me on the big screen for the first time.

I was inspired to rewatch after Shiva Baby, which is a very close runner-up.