A Serious Man

One is obliged to be of two minds about Joel and Ethan Coen. They’re funny when they’re serious, and serious when funny. I tend to like them less when slick and hugely successful (Fargo; No Country for Old Men), and more when off-beat and off-hand (The Hudsucker Proxy; O Brother, Where Art Thou?). This film feels as close to home as anything they’ve ever done. Though not Jewish myself, I grew up in a Jewish community in the suburban Midwest in the Sixties, precisely as portrayed in this film. It's the extreme accuracy of this portrait that has divided critical opinion on this film, with some Jewish writers clearly uncomfortable with how close to the bone it is. I found it hilarious and spot on. Sure, the Coen boys take a little too much glee in piling the tsuris on their main character, a college math professor played by Michael Stuhlbarg, but the sheer exuberance of their storytelling with this modern-day Job supercedes their cynical nihilism. This seriously funny film makes you think while you laugh, and think about why you’re laughing. (2009, Beacon) *7+* ((MC-79. For a while I’ve been linking to the Metacritic page for films I review, but now when there is one commentator who nails my take on a given film in a way that leaves me little to add, I will link to it directly -- in this case, A.O. Scott of the NYTimes.)

This was my first trip to the new Beacon Cinema on North Street in Pittsfield. It is an impressive facility and I wish them well. The viewing experience was among the best I’ve ever had, from comfortable seats to impeccable image and sound. Too bad there seemed to be more loitering staff than patrons the evening I attended. Some legitimate disappointment has been expressed that the Beacon will be less Triplex North than Mall South in its programming, but I am hoping for some improvement in film choices after their shakedown cruise. I’m certain there’s hunger for more serious films in Central Berkshire than their current marketing plan calls for. It’s troubling that in their first month they’ve shown only one film I considered worth going to the theater for (and which I could have seen at Images at the same time), but there’s reason to hope that the year-end critical faves will get to the Berkshires quicker now. And a 3-D venue may make Avatar a must-see.