“The Rabbi Is Busy”
I’m not alone in loving the fact that this trailer for the Coen Bros.’ A Serious Man is all about basic situational set-up and conveys nothing in the way of second-act (much less third-act) plot points. Which is what 97% of today’s trailers do. A brilliant job by super-talented and in-demand trailer creator Mark Woollen.
Absolutely brilliant trailer that perfectly captures the rhythm and tone of the Coens at their best. I love the way it uses repetition of sound to create a musical backbeat and the overall feel of it reminded me a lot of Barton Fink. Can’t wait for this movie.
Yeah, looks very interesting. I thought this was more of a screwball comedy in the Burn/O Brother vein but it looks quite a bit darker than that.
I’ve literally never seen the lead actor before. Usually I recognize character actors as “that guy from…” but I can’t say I’ve seen him in anything.
Great trailer. The pounding becomes almost unbearable midway through, but of course that’s precisely the point.
The lead reminds me of a young Eugene Levy.
The Coens are phenomenal. That list of movies at the end just reminds you how consistent they’ve been for such a long time. Only really the Intolerable Cruelty/Ladykillers pair bring the average down somewhat.
Lemme guess – someone gets murdered.
For me, everything they’ve done works except for LADYKILLERS and BURN AFTER READING. I don’t understand why those 2 movies are not as maligned as INTOLERABLE CRUELTY, which I actually enjoyed.
DeeZee says…
I liked it better when it was called THE PLOT AGAINST HARRY.
That line about the rabbi being busy because he’s thinking reminds me of a similar story that happened to an entertainment journalist who was going to conduct an interview with MICHAEL MANN. He had to wait outside Mann’s office for a while because, according to Mann’s secretary, “He was busy thinking.”
Lead Michael Stuhlbarg was nominated for a Tony for his terrific performance in Martin McDonagh’s play THE PILLOWMAN in 2005. Off Broadway he’s been in David Mamet’s adaptation of THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE. He played Hamlet at Shakespeare in the Park last summer. He has a few movie and TV credits on his resume (including Martin Scorsese’s episode of the upcoming miniseries BOARDWALK EMPIRE) but I figured him for more based on his track record.
I’m also an INTOLERABLE CRUELTY fan. Say it loud, say it proud.
Guy walks into a bar, bartender says “why the long video link?”
MAJOR Barton Fink vibe which I’m diggin.’
Ladykillers is just as maligned if not more so than Intolerable Cruelty, Steven. But I did like Burn After Reading even if it is one of their lesser works. I can’t wait for A Serious Man, it looks like one of their better comedies.
Even when they miss the mark — The Man Who Wasn’t There, Intolerable Cruelty (Catherine Zeta-Jones using the little known “Ambien” acting method) — they still produce the most interesting movies coming out of Hollywood. And even though my friends sometimes question my sanity whenever i bring it up, I still think Hudsucker Proxy is an absolute masterpiece.
Appears the Coens got Deakins back to shoot this puppy. And agreed with whomever mentioned the whole “Barton Fink“-vibe thing.
Looks like the last two movies weren’t a fluke, and the Coens’ whole down-streak is finally broken — hopefully for good this time. (Now if only they’d de-mothball their To the White Sea script…)
Stuhlbarg was in AFTERSCHOOL last year, produced by the great Andrew Renzi who is also a producer on Mark Ruffalo’s directorial debut Sympathy For Delicious. Renzi is under 25.
I fucking love THP. While I think of Coen brothers as auteurists and readily admit that some of the themes it portrays don’t fit too well with the rest of the pictures in their filmography, it’s addictively watchable. So much fun.
There’s a blatant link in the IMDB comments for the script, if anyone is interested.
I’m curious to see what Zhang Yimou is gonna do with his Blood Simple remake.
A SERIOUS MAN looks wonderful.
I’ve read James Dickey’s TO THE WHITE SEA a few times, and also really hope the Coen’s make a film of it.
J.K .Simmons’ brief scenes catapult Burn After Reading from ‘lesser work’ to ‘classic’ in my book.
Eh, I wish they’d ONLY do tense, Hitchcockian rural crime shit like Fargo, No Country and Blood Simple. And, I guess, Miller’s Crossing. Those all stand SO far about from the rest of their arch, brown/beige stuff, it’s frustrating. Though I guess I kinda love Lebowski, too.
But mostly they’re so good at spare, cinematic violence that I hate that they do those semi-smug comedies.
It’d be like if Michael Mann had his exact resume, but in between every Heat and Insider he had some condescending, arch brown-sheened “comedy” about hick yodelers with fucking banjo music.
Basically my Coen rule is: Violence awesome, comedy annoying.
Hudsucker and O Brother are *insufferable* and obnoxious.
I guess I just don’t find odd-looking guys behind desks doing static, off-kiler shit in exhaust-fume lighting to be that funny.
Are the Coen’s jewish?
This is right up my alley. I’ve been eagerly awaiting for this movie for about one year. I drooled over the trailer and have watched this at least 10 times. I’m not a Jew, but a few of my friends are. I love the strong male characters in the trailer- they remind me of my friends.
I love it. and I’m so gonna see it on opening day. I wish it would come out NOW, though.
I haven’t seen Intolerable Cruelty since high school but my professional opinion is that That Shit Ruled. I am pretty pumped for this but boy I really can’t wait for The Yiddish Policeman’s Union
Yeah, I said it yesterday — they REALLY need to get on with “Yiddish Policemen’s Union” — that material with them involved would have limitless possibilities.
I am so excited for that one. Dude who did Night At The Museum could be directing that shit and I’d still be kind of stoked on the concept of a movie based on a Chabon novel about snowy Jews
“I guess I just don’t find odd-looking guys behind desks doing static, off-kiler shit in exhaust-fume lighting to be that funny.”
You’re supposed to be paying attention to the funny characters delivering funny lines; you’re right, though, the Coens have never mastered those important aspects of comedy filmmaking, such as goofy camera angles, funny lighting, and good-looking people.
(Not even gonna ask you how Clooney, the star of three of their comedies, could be considered odd-looking.)
“Are the Coen’s jewish?”
Not only that, but they’re from Minnesota as well, which had led some to speculate there would be some autobiography to this movie. I can’t watch the trailer right now, but I have a feeling there isn’t much; they don’t do “personal” that way.
Autobiographical’s a loaded term, but considering the setting, the time period and the lead’s job (college prof – same as their dad), I’d go so far as to say there is something especially personal about this one.
And that’s my armchair analysis.
Can’t wait for this.
Oh, and Burn After Reading is not a ‘lesser work’. I defy anyone to name a better satire made in the last 15 years that isn’t called Wag The Dog.
“I’m curious to see what Zhang Yimou is gonna do with his Blood Simple remake.”
After wracking my brain trying to get the joke, I finally gave in and Googled it. I guess after Bad Lieutenant: His Soul Is Still Dancing, nothing should surprise me.
I liked Intolerable Cruelty until the ending. I thought it needed to stay true to its black heart, like War of the Roses.
And maybe I should reread To The White Sea. As I remember it, it’s about an American WWII airman who’s shot down over Japan and
SPOILER
OWNS everybody. It would definitely make Lex happy.
You’re fucking crazy (or not crazy enough, maybe) if you don’t think Raising Arizona is a brilliant damn comedy.
Also one of the best shot films in its genre, ever, IMHO.
“Oh, and Burn After Reading is not a ‘lesser work’. I defy anyone to name a better satire made in the last 15 years that isn’t called Wag The Dog.”
———–
Just cause we can’t name a better satire doesn’t make Burn After Reading brilliant.
Also, though I haven’t seen it yet, there are some people on this site who believe that IN THE LOOP is a pretty damn good satire.
It was a little bit broader and campy than in the book, but I generally thought the satire in American Psycho was pretty good stuff.
American Psycho is a better film than Burn After, however, it’s a straight black comedy (it still pales next to Fargo).
I think switching between comedy and crime / noir is reserved for genius level writer/directors (Wilder, Allen, the Coens….. wow, that’s a short list) which is surprising because the basic tenants of screwball and noir (ie. anything that can go wrong, will) are the same.
I should choose my words more carefully. What I meant to say is that, for me, American Psycho is more compulsively rewatchable than BAR, which doesn’t necessarily mean it’s ‘better’. Only that I have some issues.
Smells like Fink…actually the line that makes me laugh is ”the Rabbi is thinking”.
Coens score again.
That trailer made me laugh harder than anything I’ve seen in a while.
Good call on the repetitive sound. Looks like classic Coen brothers. I cannot wait to see this…
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I think switching between comedy and crime / noir is reserved for genius level writer/directors (Wilder, Allen, the Coens….. wow, that’s a short list) which is surprising because the basic tenants of screwball and noir (ie. anything that can go wrong, will) are the same.
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