Ben Oliver

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A Serious Man

Why does he make us feel the questions if he’s not gonna give us any answers?
14 September 2014

Perhaps not one of the most accessible Coen Brothers pictures, A Serious Man still manages to strike a chord with me every time.

I’m not Jewish, or American, or from the 60s. This is not a film I think I fully understand, or will ever be able to. However, at its core lies a concept I think everyone is all too familiar with; shit happens and we don’t know why.

Some people will try to explain it. Some people will rely on others to explain it. The truth is, the world is chaotic, incomprehensible, and throws more questions at us than it does answers.

It’s funny, beautifully shot, strangely mesmeric to watch, and (third time around for me now I think) doesn’t get old.