'A Serious Man' review by Michael Phillips

[PsihsSuns]

This is one of the most intelectual movie in latest years.

If person really likes this movie and understand what the story is teaching to us.

It's a great comedy but greater drama.

Great ending... Tornado and cancer.

[Mpaige427]

Just because you people that don't understand the concept of subtle humor that isn't Larry the fucking Cable Guy, don't like to get something out of a film other than what is directly shown or stated, and/or don't understand the concept of symbolism, doesn't mean that the movie "is shit" or "sucks dick". It means that you either don't have the intellectual capacity or the patience to appreciate true genius.

[bbdogrocks13]

I hated this movie and thought it was just so dumb and boring ,and i didnt care about anybody in the movie.

[MEELATEHGRIL]

@bbdogrocks13 Nobody cares about you.

[bbdogrocks13]

@MEELATEHGRIL ok.

[ProdigalSon16]

@bbdogrocks13 ya i don't really care about you either

[bbdogrocks13]

@ProdigalSon16 that's cool.

[Khera420]

this was a sad movie had a sad tone in it

[mOs4114]

The best part in the movie is when he's peeping at his neighbour.

[mOs4114]

Didn't even laugh once.

[mOs4114]

A serious man is shit.

[mOs4114]

A serious man sucks dick.

[MrJkid2010]

@mOs4114 Get over yourself, hate spamming prick.

[pieguy2]

Did I miss something? I honestly didn't like this film

[Aphasia17]

the ending tied the movie together for me... great fucking movie.

[vitorshaolin]

a movie about FUCKING LOSING CONSTANT FUCKING LOSING THATS ALL IT IS

[bammbamm12]

When I saw Amy Landecker I thought Lee Remick had come back from the grave.

[goonookanooka]

This movie rocked and was hilarious. Stuhlberg was awesome, the whole cast was awesome, and the Cohen's last two movies, this and burn after reading, are suffering greatly from being under appreciated.

[goonookanooka]

@goonookanooka Coen not Cohen. Tired sorry.

[anarchy62]

i wish the coen brothers would finish the friggin movies off.

stop leaving them hanging like that.

no country  had the worst ending of all time.

maybe they are trying to be "arty"

[0ysterburg3r]

no i dont think it's just a jewish film. i think it's a film that is similar to No Country for Old Men in a way that in reality, innocent, relligious, and by-the-book people can get as much shit, if not worse, than everyone else for no reason. That being "serious" does not really help and you cant do anything about it. you just gotta accept it. Its a pretty good movie, if you look at it that way. although i have to admit it was pretty boring but then again it is a coens movie

[asmodeus585]

@0ysterburg3r: So you basically mean: it's a good boring movie?

[0ysterburg3r]

@asmodeus585 Idk I guess lol



[Ecdysiast96]

great movie

[TheZodiac96]

Oh my God! I was looking forward to this film since it came out in theaters and it is the worst movie of the year and one of the worst I've ever seen.

[johnny2down]

One of the worst movies I ever saw. It was slow, boring and pointless. What a waste of time.

However, I can see where the term "wimp" came from.

[EdiblePlanets]

I'm going to do something that is only done rarely. I am retracting - partially - my prior comments. I have not seen this film, but I've read a lot about it. I think the reviewers "goyim" comment is consistent with the theme of the film. It's all about Jews and being Jewish and pretty much excludes the rest of the world, except as a source of troubles. I still feel there is a double standard though: How many other identity groups could make such an exclusionary film that is so accepted?

[Lupker44]

I saw this movie...it was boring as holy hell.

[motherdadder]

I think the reviewer was watching a different film. This movie made my nose bigger.

[charliewecker]

@motherdadder Go DIE!

[motherdadder]

burn

[Druffmaul]

Oh for crying out loud, get off it. "Goyim" *can* be used in a pejoritive sense, just like "jew" can. The reviewer obviously didn't intend it to be pejorative.

Grow some skin, people. How can you stand this ultra PC bullshit?

[EdiblePlanets]

@Druffmaul I'm not being "ultra PC". I'm just fighting the obvious double standard at work here.

[Druffmaul]

There's no double standard here. In the context the reviewer used it in, it simply means "non-Jews". You're being hyper sensitive.

[asmodeus585]

@Druffmaul: It's funny you say that, as when you look at American political correctness, it usually treats Jews as if they were hyper-sensitive sacred cows. As as non-Jew I wasn't offended by the word this guy used, personally I also really like Jews in general, but I'm sick of their special care treatment. When a Jew says sth that some non-Jew people find 'dubious' it's OK, but when a 'goy' says sth a few orthodox Jews might find not fully affirmative it's a scandal...

[Druffmaul]

"I'm sick of their special care treatment."

Yeah, a lot of people are. Thing is, that "special care treatment" is a direct result of the Jews' long history of "special persecution treatment". It's true that the Jews are very sensitive and freak out at the slightest hint of attack. What really matters is whether or not you understand the reasons behind that.

[asmodeus585]

@Druffmaul: Yes, but they're not the only nation that suffered much. Poles suffered a lot from Germans and Russians, not only during WWII but throughout almost 10 centuries. Gypsies had a very hard time anywhere they went too. And what about blacks? White people enslaved and tortured them many times. I do understand the reason behind their feelings, but I think they overuse their power and influence to make us believe they the only ones who deserve special (polite) treatment.

[Druffmaul]

@asmodeus585 I never said they were the only group who had a rough time of it. But I think you need to go back and study more history. The persecution of the Jews goes *thousands of years* further back than anything you mentioned.

[asmodeus585]

@Druffmaul: It doesn't change anything. Nowadays they are in power. Most banks and TV channels belong to Jews. Among Jews are the richest and the most influential men in the world. They are the ones who dictate how Jews are presented in most of the media (which belong to them). Ordinary Jew doesn't care so much about the special treatment. Moreover, ordinary man (Jew or non-Jew) doesn't really care much about history.

I think it'd be better if we treated kindly all the people, period.

[Druffmaul]

@asmodeus585 "Moreover, ordinary man (Jew or non-Jew) doesn't really care much about history."

I agree, ordinary people are ignorant. Being ordinary is nothing to strive for or celebrate. History is what made today's world and the people in it what they are.

[charliewecker]

@Druffmaul Agreed.

[wownov83]

The ending is amazing! That it "dangles" is exactly the point...

[ilovepanslabyrinth]

@wownov83

Yeah, a perfect ending

I accepted the mystery

My fav film of the decade

[schulz]

this film is much closer to the book of Koheles (lehavdeel) than to Job in my opinion.

[EdiblePlanets]

This reviewer needs to apologize to all non-Jewish people for his racial slur.

Don't try telling me "goy" is not an insult. You will be insulting my intelligence. If I tried to refer to Jews by ANY OTHER WORD than Jewish, you'd call me anti-semetic (etc.)

If I was a reader of this newspaper I'd totally boycott it until there was an apology.

[JuanVenusChavalo]

@EdiblePlanets

============

Goyim means nations. Nothing pejorative.

[EdiblePlanets]

COME ON !! That may be true; but when the reviewer says the movie may be "too Jewish for some goyim" he doesn't mean it may be too Jewish for some "nations". He is obviously putting down non-Jews. Do you REALLY think we are that dumb?

[mrtristan14]

It's not a big deal bro jeez

[bluechao]

@EdiblePlanets Is the reviewer Jewish, himself? Phillips is not a Jewish name (but it's possible he's part Jewish, I really don't know).

In the context he used it, it wasn't meant to be pejorative. It's the kind of word where HOW it's said determines what is meant. I've heard the word goyim used pejoratively, but I've also heard it uses in ways it isn't meant that way.

[EdiblePlanets]

bluechao, Ok, so he wasn't saying "goyim are stupid", but the word itself and the dismissive way he uses it are offensive. The trouble with double standards is that they are difficult to see sometimes. What if I said: "The Passion of the Christ was a great movie, but it has too much Jesus for most Jews." People would say "hey, hold on a second." Same thing is going on here. But the reviewer made it worse by saying "goyim" (at best a suspect word) rather than just non-Jews.

[Beakerzor]

lame spoiler

[skrivebom]

4 of WHAT?

[Tripp393]

of 4

[Cinotti93]

è un film di merda!

[OpiumMuseum]

Amazing film. I can't stop watching it.

[Cinotti93]

Amazing????????????

This is only shit!

[thenewrapstyle]

fuck off troll

[IdotFilms]

best movie of 2009

[Cinotti93]

ahahahahahahahah

I'm laugthing ahahahaha

[ilovepanslabyrinth]

@IdotFilms Yeah, my favourite film of the decade.

[yumyums12]

@IdotFilms couldn't have said it better myself

[dajczgewand]

Great movie !

[smileythegnome]

@ 1:25: too Jewish for some goyim? Did anybody else pick up on this line? Goyim is plural for cattle; as in the way the Ashkenazim view us Gentiles in our plural form. Do you feel as cattle to an exclusive race? THEY do!!!

[EdiblePlanets]

smiley: YES. That is what my comments were all about before they were blocked. Watch: you will get blocked too with all the "thumbs down". That's the answer for these people: censor the truth!

[gambarian]

@smileythegnome

man, goyim mans just "non-jewish"

just like gayjin means non-japanese

nothing like cattle, man

[Gimmel748]

Goyim means nations

"Goy"(גוי) = a nation outside of Israel, meaning not of the Jewish people, and not a descendant of those who received the Torah at mount Sinai.

Get your facts straight, nazi asshole.

[smileythegnome]

Oh yes. I'M the big bad SCARRRY nazi that lives under every Jew's bed just waiting at my chance to jump out, gas 'em, and turn them into soap and lampshades.

Yep, that's me. Can't fight it. Its just what we love to do. Haven't you seen the movies?

[EdiblePlanets]

So I know you are all very good about giving me the "thumbs down", but why don't you try thinking and actually say something to support your position? Here's the big question: why do identity-groups, particularly Jews, feel such a strong need to identify as such? A SERIOUS QUESTION. If you are religous and must believe in a god to get you through life, OK. But what about you "non-religious" Jews? Talk to me.

[mjr256]

Yeah, some people will definitely be turned off by the "ending" and for the first couple of minutes it did have me scratching my head. But once I connected it with the dentist story, it seemed like a pretty appropriate ending.

[SonicBomber2]

i have turned off by the ending.

I watched the movie yesterday and i was pretty disappointed.

But i understood what has happened!

[Psychopat12]

I think this is my favorite Coen Brothers movie now.

[jayjayjigsby2]

I don't think it is. I know it is.

[ilovepanslabyrinth]

Mine too. It's teh most compelling and meaningful film I've ever seen. And if I find one more so, then a serious man is funnier :)

[michaelerikson33]

Yes. I love this and No Country for Old Men. They're both so profound, and have so much to say. Amazing films. All their films are great.

[scales9000]

i believe it is more of a down ending than No Country!!!!!

[jmmycsnv]

alright good this should show up on Phillips top 10 of the year then.

[kevinnash89]

A more downbeat ending than 'No Country'? No. It isn't.

[JerryAtricSenior]

Actually Goyem has lost its offensive nature. Now its pretty much a fun way for Jews to talk about non jews, With jews!

[EdiblePlanets]

The word may not be offensive as it once was; however, whenever one racial/religious group uses a word to put down another group it is inherently offensive.

[scotty123123]

@scotty123123 Actually the word "goy" has no negative etymology. It is Hebrew for "nation" or "people"

[SonicBomber2]

this is true

[Szederp]

@scotty123123 Yeah, even in this film when jews refer to "goys" they do it with contempt. Why do you think is that?

[RoadTweeker]

@Szederp Too true.

Larry: "So what happened to the Goy?"

Rabbi: "Who cares?!"

Jews are an insular and ethnocentric tribe.

I liked the movie.

[EdiblePlanets]

Oh. You guys don't like my "goyem" comment. Tell me I'm wrong. You think it's a term Jews use to show how much they like non-Jews. Right? Please. How dumb do you think we are?

[EdiblePlanets]

What a highly offensive review!! "Goyem" (?) It's the equivalent of the "N" word, in case you don't know. It's the sound a Jew makes when he spits on a non-Jew.

[jessiep02]

I thought it might be offensive. They use it in the movie repeatedly.

[Anihilist]

The MILF in orange hell yes

[johnnyharpe]

Amen, I don't trust the joos. Most of us dumb Whites don't even know what a jew is. Spread the word.

[Beale64]

Phillips is one of the few critics who considers "A Serious Man" better than "No Country for Old Men."

[hackensac]

with all the comments he made, I was expecting 3 stars

[FromTheAbsurd]

Fargo is overrated

[murdock283]

Can't wait for this movie! :D

[murdock283]

Saw it already. Loved it. :D