New Coen Bros, A Serious Man

i really enjoyed this film

I also liked the almost zen parable feeling of the goy's teeth scene - though the person I was with took it as critical of rabbis, it actually reminded me of all the things I like about the Jewish tradition - the kind of shrugging, comic unknowingness of it.

^ This. Was my favourite sequence in the film. I really felt more in line with the haters than the ravers on this one; felt like a movie about how Jews fuck up, in the divine sense. All the mistakes they make, these lazy or venal errors, caring about the forest instead of the trees. And while I think the movie does essentially believe in God, and about some kind of truth out there, and isn't suggesting that the characters are bad or evil, this vision of the world felt ungenerous. The Rabbi's teeth story felt like the only representation of the main element of Judaism that I cling to, now, older and non-practicing - about living well, happily throwing yr arms up at the unknowable (or nonexistent).

Wish I could see this just as a character/setting/historical study, as many here have, but very much felt like a Commentary On Jews As Jews.

what's wrong with that, though?

oh, nothing - like it's not a critique of the film in itself, just an articulation of why i didn't like it. (and also why i didn't like its worldview. which makes me realise: a dislike for a film's ideology often functions as a critique of the film: see common debates over Slumdog Millionaire, Rachel Getting Married (which i loved), etc.)

I really felt more in line with the haters than the ravers on this one; felt like a movie about how Jews fuck up, in the divine sense.

Well, they killed the Saviour.

seang, just look at the parking lot.

Hey, does the Directors Guild have a rule that only brothers can receive dual credit?

Nope. The two directors it took to bring Little Miss Sunshine to the screen were rewarded with one nod.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directors_Guild_of_America_Award_for_Outstanding_Directing_-_Feature_Film

so what was the big deal about rodriguez quitting the DGA so that frank miller could get co-credit for sin city?

Second viewing holds up. lol Rabbi "Scott"

The second viewing really brings out the lols.

"i'm fine.... someone just {throatcutting gesture} but..."

I think the Rodriguez-DGA spat was due to the fact that Miller didnt direct much of anything for Sin City. I think his credit was mostly due to his making the graphic novel.

Millers lack of directing chops was later fully revealed in "The Spirit".

I really, really enjoyed this, and I got the feeling I would have enjoyed it more if I knew a bit more about Judaism.

The quantum mechanics he is writing on the board in the lecture is not just bullshit symbols, so they clearly had some help, but it's wrong in quite a trivial algrebraic way. this must have been so obvious to whoever helped them that i suspect it is deliberate. Like he has gone nuts and forgotten that x - x = 0 (which is one of the mistakes).

Morbs: maybe you know some behind the scenes stuff here. Was the Serious Man prologue in 4:3 or something like that? Or am I misremembering? If it was, what was the reason?

What an awesome catch, caek! Does sound like a Coenish deliberate mistake.

Haha, I hope so. He literally writes q^2 - q^2 = 0 iirc. Quantum mechanics is weird, but it's not that weird.

^^^^you are expecting me to understand higher maths, LOL. To say I wasn't interested in post-algebra maths at school is putting it mildly; how did I ever get an A in Physics? I am sure many of the film's nerdier extras felt compelled to point it out on the scene.

Next time I'm home I have to get my mom to see it.

This was AWESOME. The younger rabbi + "goy's teeth" sequences = every conversation I ever had with a rabbi. that peculiar kind of avuncular unhelpfulness, stories that go nowhere, etc.

don't really get why the short was included at the beginning. it was funny and all, but seemed pretty unrelated to what followed.

i didn't understand it and felt maybe some knowledge of judaism would have helped me? but idk, i didn't mind it being there.

god, the goy's teeth sequence is one of the best things they've ever done. loved loved loved that.

"don't really get why the short was included at the beginning. it was funny and all, but seemed pretty unrelated to what followed."

every conversation I ever had with a rabbi. that peculiar kind of avuncular unhelpfulness, stories that go nowhere, etc

Larry Gopnik: I don't want it to just go away! I want an answer!
Rabbi Nachtner: Sure! We all want the answer! But Hashem doesn't owe us the answer, Larry. Hashem doesn't owe us anything. The obligation runs the other way.
Larry Gopnik: Why does he make us feel the questions if he's not gonna give us any answers?
Rabbi Nachtner: He hasn't told me.
Larry Gopnik: And... what happened to the goy?
Rabbi Nachtner: The goy? Who cares?

^^^was dying during this exchange

lol x-posts

"The goy? Who cares?" line is just LOL.

that peculiar kind of avuncular unhelpfulness, stories that go nowhere, etc

fwiw this is always why i wanted to be a jew---priests were weird and creepy, rabbis seemed like funny bros

Judaism: We're Funnier

Look at the parking lot, Larry. Just look at that parking lot.

god, the goy's teeth sequence is one of the best things they've ever done. loved loved loved that.

― iatee, Tuesday, February 16, 2010 6:27 PM (2 days ago) Bookmark

^^^

Loved this movie. Way more laugh-out-loud funny than I'd been led to expect.

i need to watch this again. "do you take advantage of the new freedoms?"

Seen it four times, now, I think. Still awesome, and ever funnier.

The AV Club's recent article on Synecdoche, NY mentioned that it would make a great double bill w/ this, which is both true and freaks me out a big since those are my respective #1 flicks of the last two years.

SNY, being the work of a first-time director, has nowhere near the discipline and focus that ASM has.

The likes of "Look at the parking lot" is not a particularly Jewish concept; can fit in Zen, Christian mysticism, etc. It's good advice, just not offered in timely or effective fashion by Rabbi Scott.

The likes of "Look at the parking lot" is not a particularly Jewish concept; can fit in Zen, Christian mysticism, etc.

yeah well the mystic subsets of all the major religions are nearly identical when you get right down it

Raging Bull = Catholic version

WHAT'D I DO, WHAT'D I DO

i assumed the stuff at the beginning was to show that gopnik is cursed? (the couple were relations of gopnik's etc, though i could be reading in way too much.)

I didn't catch that they were related to Gopnik but maybe I just missed that

The likes of "Look at the parking lot" is not a particularly Jewish concept; can fit in Zen, Christian mysticism, etc.

yeah well the mystic subsets of all the major religions are nearly identical when you get right down it

― Wrinkles, I'll see you on the other side (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, February 18, 2010 10:37 AM (20 minutes ago) Bookmark

this section of the movie parallels with the stoner lady next door, it's about "the sixties" -- the youngest rabbi, fresh out of school, probably has a lot of "the world is alive!!" type ish in his head! lutheran pastors of that age are the same way

i dont think they DID literally make some connection, but it was the best connection i could figure

I haven't formed any ideas about the relationship btwn the prologue and the main plot, other than wives sure can cause trouble huh?

Jews too.

sy is the dybbuk

shit happens

other than wives sure can cause trouble huh?

uh its the husband who brings home the dybbuk

altho I guess whether or not Fyvush actually is a dybbuk is open to interpretation

i was waiting during the whole middle third for some confirmation that the couple in the shtetl are larry's actual forbears, but, after a while, it's like, no, they're not going to give it to me that simply are they.

the shtetl sequence was actually lifted from an old f-troop

rarely rerun

It's from McHale's Navy.

u know he is credited at the end as "dybbuk?"

did f-troop routinely have joeks that were "lol, the indians are all really jews (cos that's who played the indians in the movies)"? cos i saw one episode once on nick at nite and that was basically the deal.