Joel daniel coen born november 29, 1954 and ethan jesse coen born september 21, 1957 were born and raised in st. But none is more mysterious than a serious man, which was released in the uk 10 years ago today. Masters of contrary comedy joel and ethan coen have struck another original note with their latest film a serious man. The brothers have never been afraid to be ambiguous in their films, in particular their most personal work. Mar 23, 2012 a serious man coen brothers, 2009 this is one of the richest, deepest, saddest, most mysterious movies ever made. Good luck getting them to explain the hotel fire at the end of barton fink, or what the deeper meaning might be in the dudes white russians. The first ten minutes of joel and ethan coens latest effort a serious man, far from altering this impression, rather shocks the viewer into remembering how effectively the coens utilise the mechanics of horror in their best films. Sound and meaning in a serious man the coen brothers, throughout an increasingly acclaimed career, have nevertheless faced frequently the criticism that much of their work is elusive. They have shared these duties on all of their films, but joel has always been listed as the director, and ethan as producer. The film attracted a positive critical response, including a golden globe award nomination for stuhlbarg, a place on. This is the first coen brothers film where joel coen and ethan coen are both given directing and producing credits. Ethan and joel coen, more popularly known as the coen brothers, have made a name for themselves with their own brand of dark humor and quirky comedy.
Their films span many genres and styles, which they frequently subvert or parody. The coens humor is distant, dry, and shrivelling, and they make the people in a serious man so drably unappealing that you begin to wonder what kind of disgust the brothers are working off. On writing, lebowski and literally herding cats inside llewyn davis starring oscar isaac and a disobedient cat is the latest from the filmmaking duo. Ellen degeneres funny 1st appearance doing stand up comedy on johnny carson. A serious man the films of the coen brothers pictures. After garnering critical success with their academy award winning screenplay for fargo 1996, the coen brothers reputation for tightly written and excellently directed films were only further proven with films such as the big lebowski 1998. The coen brothers on losers, likability and inside llewyn davis catherine shoard inside llewyn davis a melancholy movie about the early 60s new york folk scene. The coen brothers have stated that they are interested in making a sequel to barton fink called old fink, which would take place in the 1960s, around the same time period as a serious man. The coen brothers discuss a serious man this is an archived page. The coen brothers discuss a serious man with time out film. Joel david coen born november 29, 1954 and ethan jesse coen born september 21, 1957, collectively referred to as the coen brothers, are american filmmakers. With neil pearson, ethan coen, joel coen, roger deakins. A serious man is a 2009 black comedydrama film written, produced, edited and directed by joel and ethan coen.
At the conclusion of their new movie, a serious man, the coen brothers pull off a neat little joke. Like many other coen brothers films, a serious man tells of characters whose ability to understand the world and their place in it. Notes on a serious man 2009 of all the coen brothers movies ive rewatched over the past couple weeks, this is the one that so far has risen the most in my estimation. The coen brothers are back with no country for old men, a violent adaptation of a cormac mccarthy novel that stars javier bardem as a.
Just like the other coen brothers favorite o brother where are thou is a very clever satire based upon homers odessey, a serious man is the. Cloud state university, and their father, edward coen, was an economist at the university of minnesota. An interesting if minor coen brothers movie, a serious man is a serious film. Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you. Whatever indignities the coens suffered as teens, they have hardly been hampered by those memories as adults. Every coen brothers movie is a mystery of one kind or another. The coen brothers, or just ethan and joel to their close pals, have never made a bad film. A serious man coen brothers, 2009 this is one of the richest, deepest, saddest, most mysterious movies ever made.
The picture is devoted to the travails of an unhappy midwestern jewish familya real. The germ of a serious man was a planned short film based on a reallife rabbi from joel and ethans childhood, who would hold a private audience with each bar mitzvah kid. Coen brothers, american filmmakers whose stylish films combine comedy and drama and often center on eccentric characters and convoluted plots. A documentary showing the lives of the famous directors ethan coen and joel coen. The brothers have stated that they have had talks with john turturro in reprising his role as fink, but they were waiting until he was actually old enough. May 04, 2017 an interesting if minor coen brothers movie, a serious man is a serious film. Michael stuhlbarg, a tonynominated actor with little experience in front of the cameras. A serious man had me gripped from the first frames, and the film conjures a woozy, weightless feeling, combined with an almost hallucinatory. Sep 25, 2014 notes on a serious man 2009 of all the coen brothers movies ive rewatched over the past couple weeks, this is the one that so far has risen the most in my estimation. Nov 16, 2009 richard kind, costar of the coen brothers a serious man, takes questions from users of. Read more about the coen brothers lives and careers. Because of the midwest setting, the time period and the heavy jewish influence, a serious man feels like it may be one of their most personal films. The coen brothers on losers, likability and inside llewyn. Get uinterviews free iphone app to record celebrity video.
There are coen movies that are inconsequential goofs that would be burn after reading, and. A serious man coen brothers film analysis larry gopnik michael stuhlbarg is a physics professor at a 1960s university, but his life is coming apart at the seams. High seriousness and the brothers coen do not an immediate marriage make. All 17 coen brothers movies ranked from worst to best page. A rich but jealous man hires a private investigator to kill his cheating wife and her lover. The brothers have an older sister, deborah, who grew up to. Academy award winners joel and ethan coen have been writing, directing, editing and producing some of the most original films to come out of hollywood. The difference between this movie and other coen outings is the lack of any major stars, with just a few of those, ive seen that guy in something before. Set in 1967, the film stars michael stuhlbarg as a minnesota jewish man whose life crumbles both professionally and personally, leading him to questions about his faith. Joel coen older 54, taller, quieter, shaggier hair, better clothes is sitting at one end of the sofa. It is set in what i assume to be a minneapolis suburb of their childhood, a prairie populated by splitlevel homes with big garages but not enough trees around them. The first ten minutes of joel and ethan coen s latest effort a serious man, far from altering this impression, rather shocks the viewer into remembering how effectively the coens utilise the mechanics of horror in their best films. A serious man is my favorite coen brothers film produced in the last decade, the exact period of time since ethan and joel created the comedy cult classic the big lewbowski.
The coen brothers discuss a serious man with time out. The film was well received and won awards for joels direction at both the. Feb 11, 2016 the coen brothers a serious man opens with a short yiddish folk tale about a jewish man allen lewis rickman living in an eastern european shtetl who returns home to his wife yelena. Our definitive ranking of every coen brothers film the. Sep 12, 2009 a serious man is a black comedy set in the coen brothers reallife hometown of st. The brothers write, direct and produce their films jointly. Jul 30, 2009 today we finally get the trailer for the coen brothers no country for old men, the big lebowski newest film, a serious man. Louis park, minnesota, eats a torrent of gut punchesfrom his wife filing for a divorce. Today we finally get the trailer for the coen brothers no country for old men, the big lebowski newest film, a serious man. Though seeking meaning and answers amidst his turmoils, he seems to keep sinking. With michael stuhlbarg, richard kind, sari lennick, fred melamed.
The coen brothers a serious man opens with a short yiddish folk tale about a jewish man allen lewis rickman living in an eastern european shtetl who returns home to his wife yelena. Oct 09, 2009 a serious man forces the issue in ways that will either floor you or drive you batty. In honor of the 30th anniversary of the coen brothers debut, blood simple, im rewatching their 16 feature films and attempting to jot down observations on one per day, in order of their release. Notable films included raising arizona 1987, fargo 1996, the big lebowski 1998, and no country for old men 2007. For a fuller explanation of what im doing and why, see my first entry, on blood simple. Im not entirely sure why the article was timed to come out today since its been over six months since joel and ethan coens last film, true grit, and the brothers dont have a new work bowing on the immediate horizon. Aug 26, 2011 high seriousness and the brothers coen do not an immediate marriage make. This box set contains six of their most unique and imaginative classics, including their most recent hit, a serious man. It is set in what i assume to be a minneapolis suburb of their childhood, a prairie populated by. Just like the other coen brothers favorite o brother where are thou is a very clever satire based upon homers odessey, a serious man is the story of job, a righteous man whose life is falling apart. After the seriously great no country for old men, the coen brothers have made the not greatly serious a serious man, which bears every mark of a labor of love.
The best movie article ive read online today is david haglunds i watched every coen brothers movie from slate. Raising arizona the films of the coen brothers pictures. Ive never heard anyone bring up it up, even when talking about the coen brothers filmography. Their mother, rena nee neumann, was an art historian at st. Joel and ethan coen arent known for talking a whole lot about the meaning of their movies. Richard kind on the coen brothers, a serious man video. Sep, 2015 a serious man is the kind of film that doesnt get made in hollywood very often, and is an example of the sort of smallbudget personal project that studios occasionally allow a successful director to make as an indulgence after a big commercial success which in this case was no country for old men. American filmmaker joel david coen is known for writing, directing and producing films jointly with his brother ethan jesse coen. Larry gopnik, a midwestern physics teacher, watches his life unravel over multiple sudden incidents. Criticwires new classic series examines films released in the last ten years that are posed to stand the test of time. In the coen s remix set in 1967, larry gopnik michael stuhlbarg, a jewish physics professor in st. All 17 coen brothers movies ranked from worst to best. Almost all of them have ardent defenders who get carried away and say, i dunno, the man who wasnt there, or a serious man, is secretly the best coen bros movie.
Im indifferent to big lebowski, burn after reading, oh brother where arth thou. Of course, the stoic joel and ethan coen will never let you know that for sure. In the context of the movie, burwells combination of fragmentary themes, spare textures, relentless ostinatos, modal harmonies, and carefully restrained dynamics serves as atmosphere, commentary, intensifier, and foreteller. Jul 28, 2018 the germ of a serious man was a planned short film based on a reallife rabbi from joel and ethans childhood, who would hold a private audience with each bar mitzvah kid. Sound and meaning in the coen brothers a serious man.
A serious man forces the issue in ways that will either floor you or drive you batty. The coen brothers on losers, likability and inside llewyn davis. In 1984, the brothers wrote and directed blood simple, their first film together. Ethan coen younger 52, shorter, neater hair, more inclined to laugh is sitting at the other. Joel and ethan coen have bookended the decade with a superb film at the very beginning, the man who wasnt there 2001, and another two stormers at the end. Richard kind, costar of the coen brothers a serious man, takes questions from users of. A serious man is a black comedy set in the coen brothers reallife hometown of st. A serious man is the kind of film that doesnt get made in hollywood very often, and is an example of the sort of smallbudget personal project that studios occasionally allow a successful director to make as an indulgence after a big commercial success which in this case was no country for old men. A serious man and the coen brothers ive known about the existence of the coen brothers film a serious man ever since it was released back in 09. The first time i saw it i thought it was just another a weird coen brothers movie. Jan 16, 2014 the coen brothers on losers, likability and inside llewyn davis catherine shoard inside llewyn davis a melancholy movie about the early 60s new york folk scene is another tale of failure from. Nov 19, 2009 a serious man had me gripped from the first frames, and the film conjures a woozy, weightless feeling, combined with an almost hallucinatory clarity and heightened sense of itself. It could be considered a comedy, but only in the most pitchblack sense.
Feb 27, 2017 a serious man coen brothers film analysis larry gopnik michael stuhlbarg is a physics professor at a 1960s university, but his life is coming apart at the seams. But in a world where fifty shades of black and sinister 2 exist. Carter burwells score for a serious man, the coen brothers 2009 retelling of the book of job, is a brilliant and wholly successful piece of film music. The definitive ranking of all 17 coen brothers movies gq. This is the kind of picture you get to make after youve won an oscar, writes todd mccarthy in variety.