(And it’s nice to see a civilised exchange of views on the comments, even when the participants have strongly opposed opinions.)

I’m sorry if I’ve offended but I think you’ve misunderstood me. In your original comment you wrote:

I can see how someone who makes films or went to film school might like picking apart all the elements of this film.

The type of people you describe is what is often called a film literate audience so when I said that the Coens on occasion arguably makes films targeted at “a more film literate audience” that was not a suggestion that you are less than literate.

In fact, we are saying the same thing: this is a film that will appeal to a specialised audience. I don’t have a problem with that but you do. I liked this film for what it is and you don’t. That’s all it really comes down to.

I still maintain that the Coens make only a handful of these more niche personal films and I still maintain that we shouldn’t make generalisations about audiences, especially insulting generalisations.

Finally, there’s no point getting this angry over the fact that other people like a film that you don’t so it’s time to please end this and move on.

Cheers
Thomas

PS I checked out your blog Ciné Critique Américain and noted that you are a massive fan of Casablanca so I know we won’t always disagree!

This seems to be a growing problem with each of their movies. Their fans are becoming more and more arrogant, believing that, if they like, or say that they like, the movie, it must mean that they are more intelligent than those who did not like the movie. Intelligence and taste have nothing to do with each other. I’m not attempting to oppress the Coen brothers or force them to make typical, Hollywood pablum, but I do feel that they are becoming less and less relevant to anyone who is not a devotee of their work. I also feel that they are sacrificing the basics of movie making and story telling to please this small, rabid fan base.

Totally agree. Excellent review.

However, all that is besides the point – the Coens should be allowed to make whatever films they want to make especially when they have already proven themselves to be extremely accomplished filmmakers. If they want to make a film for a more film literate audience, who do appreciate what they do, then why should they not be allowed to do so? Why should audiences who are able to appreciate such films be denied? Audiences wanting less challenging material have plenty of other films to pick from so I don’t see why the Coens should have to compromise what they do.

I wonder, if I had more personal experience in the subject matter, would the film mean a lot more to me. I know it’s not the same type of film, but I did thoroughly enjoy Raising Arizona, and I have much more personal experience with, shall we say, people who prefer to live in trailers. I just wasn’t able to empathize with Larry at all.

I do, however, feel that the Coen brothers films seem to be drifting more and more toward a smaller and smaller audience. Preaching to the choir, so to speak. I know that their fanbase loves their films and loves to go over and over them, but the seem to be increasingly inaccessible to audiences as a whole. That’s where I think the fail to tell a good story.

Anyway, like I said, I don’t think it’s a bad movie, but definitely not my kind of movie. I just wish the Coen brothers would make more movies that are accessible to a wider audience so I can enjoy their talent more often.

Thanks for your comments and it is interesting to hear an alternative point of view about this film. The Book of Job is, of course, a major influence in A Serious Man but the film is very loosely based on the the Book on Job in much the same way that O Brother, Where Art Thou? is only very loosely based on The Odyssey.

I wasn’t bored at all and I really enjoyed the pace of this film. I found it to be an all consuming experience where the storytelling aspect was of secondary importance to the film’s overall impact. I guess I like that sort of thing while others don’t. I don’t like second guessing what an ‘average audience member’ might like or dislike and I don’t like making assumptions about the tastes of others – I’m just calling it as I see fit.

Cheers
Thomas

I was bored to tears watching A Serious Man. I can see how someone who makes films or went to film school might like picking apart all the elements of this film, but to your average audience member, there isn’t a lot to like. The characters are unlikable and boring. The story drags along at a terrible pace. There is so much repetition among the scenes that one scene blurs into the next and the movie seems to drag on for an eternity.

The Coen brothers may excel at some of the technical aspects of film making, but they failed to create or tell a good story with this one.