Rent A Serious Man (2009)
3.3 of 5 from 221 ratings
1h 41min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- The story about one ordinary man's quest to become a serious man. Physics professor Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) can't believe his life: His wife is leaving him for his best friend. His unemployed brother won't move off the couch. Someone is threatening his career. His kids are a mystery, and his neighbour is tormenting him by sunbathing nude. Struggling to make sense of it all, Larry consults three different rabbis and their answers lead him on a twisted journey of faith, family, delinquent behaviour and mortality in the film critics rave is "seriously awesome!"
- Actors:
- Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Sari Lennick, Fred Melamed, Aaron Wolff, Jessica McManus, Peter Breitmayer, Brent Braunschweig, David Kang, Benjamin Portnoe, Jack Swiler, Andrew S. Lentz, Jon Kaminski Jr., Ari Hoptman, Alan Mandell, Amy Landecker, George Wyner, Michael Tezla, Katherine Borowitz, Steve Park
- Directors:
- Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
- Producers:
- Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
- Writers:
- Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
- Studio:
- Universal Pictures
- Genres:
- Comedy
- Collections:
- Oscar Nominations Competition 2024
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 15/03/2010
- Run Time:
- 106 minutes
- Languages:
- Canadian French DTS 5.1, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Latin American Spanish DTS 5.1
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing, French, Spanish
- DVD Regions:
- Region 2
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.85:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Becoming Serious
- Creating 1967
- Hebrew and Yiddish for Goys
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Reviews (3) of A Serious Man
Hilarious, Dry, Deadpan Jewish Comedy - A Serious Man review by PV
There are some real laugh out loud moments in this film - some perfectly crisp dialogue that made me chortle loudly! The tale of a put-upon professor in the late 60s who has work and family issues as his son prepares for bah mitzvah is bittersweet - a comi-tragedy that actually has a very British flavour (in that the hero is a 'loser') - like many a British comic novel.
One thing that does baffle a bit: the opening sequence which is set in Poland of the 19th century. I have no idea really why that is there - though it's funny. It almost seems you've got the wrong film when you start playing the DVD - but persevere through it to the main movie. The ending too confuses (no spoilers - but suffice to say there are mystical themes here). Lots of stuff about rabbis went over my head, but the characterisation makes it all work here, as does the wonderful snappy dialogue.
Intelligent, funny and so good I watched it 3 times in a row.
Five stars.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Boring and depressing - A Serious Man review by CP Customer
I assume that there were many cultural in-jokes here that I just didn't get. So for me it wasn't funny at all. The main character is an unloveable loser who just makes you cringe. I stopped watching after half an hour - life's too short to persist with dull movies. Maybe it picks up towards the end, I'll never know.
1 out of 4 members found this review helpful.
A mixed experience - A Serious Man review by CP Customer
Loved the Jewishness of this film, but found the overall experience a bit depressing - an aimless, weak, victimised man - likeable in some ways - in a hopeless situation. One or two dry moments do not a comedy make!
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.