Film Rating: A-

If I had to single out one particular talent the Coen Brothers possess as their most valuable one, it would be their ability to end a movie perfectly. The endings to their films might not always seem perfect when seen for the first time, but closer inspection always reveals the Coens' innate talent for driving the message of the story home in the film's final seconds. A Serious Man, their latest work, is no exception; the bleak but brilliant finale makes the rest of the movie better upon retrospection, and allows the viewer to start deciphering the film's tangled web of metaphor and symbolism.

In stark contrast to the over-the-top (but delightful) silliness of Burn After Reading, A Serious Man is a dark, contemplative work, similar in tone to No Country For Old Men-although this movie does contain much of the Coens' trademark humor that was missing from No Country. The two are similar because what happens on the surface isn't really what the movie is about; the Coens ask the viewer to be an active participant in watching the movie. Understanding the many pieces of symbolism and metaphor is essential to truly enjoying the picture, just as understanding the themes of No Country made it a more rewarding experience.

A Serious Man takes place in 1967, in a small, unnamed town with a predominantly Jewish population. Larry Gopnik, the main character, has it rough. His life as a college physics professor seems to be going fine until the day when his wife suddenly demands a divorce, a student tries to bribe him for a better grade, and his TV reception goes on the fritz. Those are only a few of his problems. If you've ever seen a film by the Coens, you know that things start out bad and only get worse, and this movie is no exception.

There's not necessarily a plot-that is to say, the film isn't divided into three noticeable acts, there's never a feeling of "beginning, middle, ending," and Larry's antagonist is really just life itself. Long stretches of the film are devoted simply to establishing the setting and the richness of the Jewish community. I'm not Jewish, so many of the words coming out of the character's mouths made little sense to me-but that's the way things should be. The Coens drag you into the community and illustrate its richness with such vivid detail that you start feeling like a citizen of the town early on. The film's deliberate pacing and structure allows for this unique quality, and much of what there is to love in the movie lies in the film's ability to illustrate its world.

But that's just the setting. Like I said, there's not necessarily a concrete "plot," but rather a long and elaborate series of metaphors and symbolic events that form the film's powerful (and admittedly rather bleak) message. It's a film that demands repeat viewings and leaves the viewer with much to ponder-in short, it sticks with you, a quality all good films share.

The film is unique from the Coens' last few outings in that no noticeable actors are used; the cast is primarily made up of unknowns. Thus, there's really no separation between the actors and their characters, adding to the realistic atmosphere of the film. Michael Stuhlbarg leads the cast as Larry Gopnik; it's a very honest and raw performance that makes the character endearing from the get go. A lesser actor in the role could have ruined the whole movie, but Stuhlbarg carries the film effortlessly. The rest of the cast play their roles just as well, and in the end, we're left with another memorable set of characters from the minds of the Coens.

Though missing in action for Burn After Reading, longtime collaborator Roger Deakins reunited with the Coens as director of photography for A Serious Man. His touch is noticeable from the get go. Though entirely dialogue driven, the look of the film is immediately striking. There's an undercurrent of tension running through every frame of the movie, even when nothing is technically happening, and much of that is attributable to Deakins' camera-work. These are the same techniques he utilized to make No Country For Old Men the nail-biting thriller that it was, but this time he's using those skills for a dialogue-driven black comedy/drama. The combination of styles is unexpected but wonderful. Carter Burwell's musical score (he's another guy who frequently works with the Coens) is equally effective; it's slow, melodic, and haunting.

I'm not sure where A Serious Man stands in relation to the rest of the Coens' body of work. It's not the flat-out masterpiece No Country For Old Men was, nor is it as enjoyable or endearing as The Big Lebowski. But it is an excellent film rich with detail and boasting an incredible ending. The film is currently playing at the Landmark Esquire theater, and I highly recommend checking it out; it's one of the year's best.