Over the past decade, a number of films have dissected crises in retro domestic life: The Ice Storm, Far From Heaven, The Hours, etc.  The Coen Brothers jump on the bandwagon with their film A Serious Man, which delves into the mid-life crisis of a 40-something physics professor, Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg).  Unlike the earlier mentioned films, A Serious Man features domestic crisis in an inverted context: instead of portraying despair invoked from within the main character (i.e. Joan Allen's unfulfilled feminist longings in The Ice Storm, for example), the Coens show a man haunted by the instability of outside forces.

Larry leads a predictable 1960 suburban lifestyle: he works a 9-5 job, navigates his role as husband and father, and attempts to get along with his "goy" neighbors.  After a day of unexceptional events (doctor appointment, student meeting, physics class), Larry comes home to find out that his wife has fallen for the local putz, Sy Ableman, and wants an immediate divorce.  This startling announcement sets in motion a number of unfortunate events in Larry's life, including a threat to his tenure, a major car accident, and illegal activity among his family members.

In an attempt to understand this string of grievous events, Larry seeks advice from local rabbis and synagogue leaders.  Instead of discovering the reason for his misfortune, Larry leaves each meeting with less enlightenment than before he met with each spiritual guide, and he must face his troubles alone.  Upon realizing he must rely upon himself for guidance, Larry begins to take charge of his circumstances, and see his world in a new light.  Before settling back into his comfortable existance, however, Larry encounters additional surprises that may change the course of his life.

Though the arc of this narrative exists in many cinematic forms, the Coens' approach stands out due to the filmmakers' classic style and tone.  Like previous Coen films, A Serious Man maintains a dry, dark tone throughout the narrative, and presents the events in a hyper-real environment.  In addition to employing these formal characteristics, the Coens invoke Judaism throughout the story to add complexity to the events.  The film suggests a dearth of faith within the devout characters, and implies that spirituality, religious conviction, and even hard evidence (such as the physics proofs by which Larry swears), might not result in greater knowledge about one's life circumstances.  The filmmakers underscore this theme with a musical motif: Jefferson Airplane's 60s anthem "Somebody to Love."  The lyrics in this song--mostly about doubt and despair--eclipse the centuries-old Jewish prayers that recur throughout the story.  The interplay of religion, popular culture, family, society, and institutions makes for a fascinating examination of mid-century domestic chaos.  Through these methods, the Coens make their mark in the midst of other "domestic unbliss" cinematic works.  A Serious Man is worth some serious contemplation.