a serious man(2009) the coen brothers. a serious man(2009) cast the coen brothers

A Serious Man(2009)

The Coen BrothersThe Coen Brothers

A Serious Man(2009)

Cast


A Serious Man(2009)


Ethan and Joel at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival screening of A Serious Man.

A Serious Man(2009)


Annie Hall(Woody

Allen, 1977)


“[Uncertainty] has always represented our manner of existence in the

world, and in many respects, for better or worse, it has made us what

we are. Sometimes when I think back on our history, not of these

past few years, but rather its entire sweep, I can make out a

perpetual movement back and forth, a search for roots, for normality

and security, forever threatened down through the centuries, and tell

myself that the Jewish state may perhaps be only a step on the way

of a people whose particular destiny has come to symbolize the

endless quest ever hesitant, ever begun anew, of all mankind."

--Saul Friedlander, When Memory Comes


Some Basic Hebrew and Yiddish (in Preparation for A Serious Man)From Wikipedia:

* bagel: a ring-shaped bread roll made by boiling then baking the dough (from בײגל beygl) (OED, MW)* blintz: a sweet cheese-filled crepe (Yiddish בלינצע blintse from russian "блины" bliny) (AHD)* bris: the circumcision of a male child. (from Hebrew brith 'covenant') (OED, MW)* boychick: boy, young man. (English boy + Eastern Yiddish -chik, diminutive suffix (from Slavic)) (AHD)* bubkes (also spelled "bupkis"): emphatically nothing, as in He isn't worth bubkes (literally 'goat droppings', possibly of Slavic origin; cf. Polish bobki 'animal droppings') (MW)* chutzpah: nerve, guts, daring, audacity, effrontery (Yiddish ה ,khutspe חוצּפfrom Hebrew) (AHD)* dreck: (vulgar) worthless material, especially merchandise; literally: "crap" or "shit" (Yiddish דרעק drek cf. German Dreck) (OED, MW)* dybbuk: the malevolent spirit of a dead person which enters and controls a living body until exorcised (from Hebrew דיבוק dibbuk, 'a latching-onto') (AHD)


Some Basic Hebrew and Yiddish (in Preparation for A Serious Man)

* fleishig: made with meat (Yiddish ּפ�ליישיק fleyshik 'meaty', from fleysh 'meat', cf. German fleischig 'meaty') (MW)* ganef or gonif: thief, scoundrel, rascal (Yiddish גנב� ganev or ganef 'thief', from Hebrew gannav). (AHD)* gelt: money; chocolate coins eaten on Hanukkah (געלט gelt 'money', cf. German Geld) (AHD)* glitch: a minor malfunction (possibly from Yiddish glitsh, from glitshn 'slide', cf. German glitschen 'slither') (AHD)* golem: a man-made humanoid; an android, Frankenstein monster (from Hebrew גולם gōlem, but influenced in pronunciation by Yiddish goylem) (OED, MW)* goy: a Gentile, someone not of the Jewish faith or people (Yiddish גוי, plural goyim meaning 'nations [usually גוים or גויים goyim; from Hebrew גוים or גוייםother than Israel]', plural of גוי goy 'nation') (AHD)* haimish (also heimish): home-like, friendly, folksy (Yiddish היימיש heymish, cf. German heimisch) (AHD)* huck; sometimes "hock", "huk", "hak". etc.: to bother incessantly, to break, or nag; from hakn a tshaynik (break a china teapot). Frequently used by characters intended to represent residents of New York City, even if not Jewish, in movies and television shows such as Law & Order.[2]



* kibitz: to offer unwanted advice, e.g. to someone playing cards; to converse idly, hence a kibbitzer, gossip (Yiddish קיבעצן kibetsn; cf. German kiebitzen, related to Kiebitz 'lapwing') (OED, MW)* klutz: clumsy person (from Yiddish קלָא�ץ klots 'wooden beam', cf. German Klotz) (OED, MW)* kosher: conforming to Jewish dietary laws; (slang) appropriate, legitimate (originally from Hebrew שר kašer) (AHD) ּכ* kvell: to feel delighted and proud to the point of tears (Yiddish קװעלן kveln, from an old Germanic word akin to German quellen 'well up') (OED, MW)* kvetch: to complain habitually, gripe; as a noun, a person who always complains (from Yiddish קװעטשן kvetshn 'press, squeeze', cf. German quetschen 'squeeze') (OED, MW)* latke: potato pancake, especially during Hanukkah (from Yiddish טקע� ,לָאfrom either Ukrainian or Russian) (AHD)* Litvak: a Lithuanian Jew (OED)* lox: smoked salmon (from Yiddish קס� (laks 'salmon'; cf. German Lachs לָא(OED, MW)



* macher: big shot, important person (Yiddish ּכער� makher, literally מָא'maker' from ּכן�makhn 'make', cf. German Macher) (OED) מָא* mamzer: bastard (from Yiddish or Hebrew ממזר) (OED)* maven: expert; when used in a negative sense: a know-it-all (from Yiddish meyvn, from Hebrew mevin 'one who understands') (OED, MW) מב�ין* mazel: luck (Yiddish מזל mazl, from Hebrew מזל mazzāl 'luck, planet') (OED)* Mazal Tov: congratulations! (Yiddish מזל־טוב� mazl-tov, from Hebrew mazzāl ṭōv: mazzāl 'fortune' or 'sign of the Zodiac (constellation)' + ṭōv 'good') (OED, MW:Hebrew)* megillah: a tediously detailed discourse (from Yiddish מגילה megile 'lengthy document, scroll [esp. the Book of Esther]', from Hebrew מגילה məgillā 'scroll') (OED, MW)* mensch: an upright man; a decent human being (from Yiddish מענטש mentsh 'person', cf. German Mensch) (OED, MW)* meshuga, also meshugge, meshugah, meshuggah: crazy (Yiddish משוגע meshuge, from Hebrew məšugga‘) (OED, MW)



* meshugas: madness, nonsense, irrational idiosyncrasy (Yiddish משוגעת meshugas, from Hebrew məšugga‘ath, a form of the above) (OED)* meshuggener: a crazy person (Yiddish משוגענער meshugener, a derivative of the above משוגע meshuge) (OED)* milchig: made with milk (Yiddish milkhik milky, from milkh milk, cf. German milchig) (MW)* minyan: the quorum of ten male adult (i.e., 13 or older) Jews that is necessary for the holding of a public worship service (Yiddish מנין minyen, from Hebrew מנין minyān) (OED, MW:Hebrew)* mishpocha: extended family (Yiddish חה mishpokhe, from Hebrew משּפmišpāḥā) (OED) משּפחה* naches: feeling of pride in 1: the achievements of one's children; 2. one's own doing good by helping someone or some organization (Yiddish נחת nakhes, from Hebrew נחת naḥath 'contentment') (OED)* narrischkeit: foolishness, nonsense (Yiddish רישקייט� .from nar 'fool', cf ,נָאGerman närrisch 'foolish') (OED)* nebbish: an insignificant, pitiful person; a nonentity (from Yiddish interjection nebekh 'poor thing!', from Czech nebohý) (OED, MW)



* noodge, also nudzh: to pester, nag, whine; as a noun, a pest or whiner (from Yiddish נודיען nudyen, from Polish or Russian) (OED)* nosh: snack (noun or verb) (Yiddish שן� (nashn, cf. German naschen נָא(OED, MW)* nu: multipurpose interjection often analogous to "well?" or "so?" (Yiddish נו nu, perhaps akin to Russian "ну" (nu) or German na='well'; probably not related to German dialect expression nu [short for nun=now], which might be used in the same way) (OED)* nudnik: a pest, "pain in the neck"; a bore (Yiddish נודניק nudnik, from the above נודיען nudyen; cf. Polish nudne, 'boring') (OED, MW)* oy or oy vey: interjection of grief, pain, or horror (Yiddish וויי ,oy vey 'oh ָאויpain!' or "oh, woe"; cf. German oh weh) (OED)* pareve: containing neither meat nor dairy products (from Yiddish (רעוו� ע)ּפָאparev(e)) (OED, MW)* pisher: a nobody, an inexperienced person (Yiddish ישער pisher, from ּפישן pishn 'piss', cf. German pissen or dialectal German pischen) (OED) ּפ* potch: spank, slap, smack (Yiddish ָאטשן patshn; cf. German patschen ּפ'slap') (OED)



* plotz: to burst, as from strong emotion (from Yiddish צן� ,'platsn 'crack ּפלָאcf. German platzen) (OED)* putz: an idiot, a jerk; a penis (from Yiddish ָא�ץpots) (AHD) ּפ* schav: A chilled soup. (AHD)* schlemiel: an inept clumsy person; a bungler; a dolt (Yiddish shlemil from Hebrew מועיל ineffective") (OED, MW)" שלָא* schlep: to drag or haul (an object); to make a tedious journey (from Yiddish ן shlepn; cf. German schleppen) (OED, MW) שלעּפ* schlimazel: a chronically unlucky person (שלימזל shlimazl, from Middle High German slim 'crooked' and Hebrew מזל mazzāl 'luck') (OED).[3] In June 2004, Yiddish shlimazl was one of the ten non-English words that were voted hardest to translate by a British translation company.[4]* schlock: something cheap, shoddy, or inferior (perhaps from Yiddish shlak 'a stroke', cf. German Schlag) (OED, MW)* schlong: (vulgar) penis (from Yiddish נג� shlang 'snake'; cf. German שלָאSchlange) (OED)•schlub: a clumsy, stupid, or unattractive person (Yiddish זשלָא�ב zhlob 'hick', perhaps from Polish żłób) (OED, MW)



* schmaltz: melted chicken fat; excessive sentimentality (from Yiddish shmalts or German Schmalz) (OED, MW) שמָא�לץ* schmatta: a rag (from Yiddish טע� ;shmate, from Polish szmata) (OED) שמָאalso means junk or low-quality merchandise: "Don't buy from Silverman; all he sells is schmatta."* schmeer also schmear: noun or verb: spread (e.g., cream cheese on a bagel); bribe (from Yiddish שמיר shmir 'smear'; cf. German schmieren) (OED, MW)* schmo: a stupid person. (an alteration of schmuck; see below) (OED)* schmooze: to converse informally, make small talk or chat (from Yiddish ('shmuesn 'converse', from Hebrew shəmūʿōth 'reports, gossip שמועסן(OED, MW)* schmuck: a contemptible or foolish person; a jerk; literally means 'penis' (from Yiddish שמָא�ק shmok 'penis', maybe from Polish smok 'dragon') (AHD)* schmutter: clothing; rubbish (from Yiddish טע� (shmate 'rag', as above שמָא(OED)* schmutz - dirt (from Yiddish שמוץ shmuts or German Schmutz 'dirt') (OED)



* schnook: an easily imposed-upon or cheated person, a pitifully meek person, a particularly gullible person, a cute or mischievous person or child (perhaps from Yiddish שנוק shnuk 'snout'; cf. Northern German Schnucke 'sheep') (OED)* schnorrer: beggar (Yiddish שנָא�רער shnorer, cf. German schnorren 'to beg or steal (usu. a small item of a consumable good) of a friend'[5]) (OED, MW)* schnoz or schnozz also schnozzle: a nose, especially a large nose (perhaps from Yiddish שנויץ shnoyts 'snout', cf. German Schnauze) (OED, MW)* schvartze: term used to denote black people; can be used derogatorily. (from Yiddish רץ�shvarts 'black'; cf. German schwarz). (OED) שווָא* schvitz: schvitz or schviting: To sweat, perspire, exude moisture as a cooling mechanism (From Yiddish). . (OED)* Shabbos or Shabbes: Shabbat (Yiddish Shabes, from Hebrew Šabbāth) (AHD)* shammes or shamash: the caretaker of a synagogue; also, the 9th candle of the Hanukkah menorah, used to light the others (Yiddish shames, from Hebrew שמש šammāš 'attendant') (OED, MW)



* shamus: a detective (possibly from shammes, or possibly from the Irish name Seamus) (OED, Macquarie)* shegetz: (derogatory) a young non-Jewish male (Yiddish שגץ or שײגעץ sheygets, from Hebrew šeqeṣ 'blemish') (AHD)* shemozzle (slang) quarrel, brawl (perhaps related to schlimazel, q.v.) (OED). This word is commonly used in Ireland to describe confused situations during the Irish sport of hurling, e.g. 'There was a shemozzle near the goalmouth'. In particular, it was a favourite phrase of t.v. commentator Miceal O'Hehir who commentated on hurling from the 1940s to the 1980s.* shicker or shickered: drunk (adjective or noun) (Yiddish shiker 'drunk', from Hebrew šikkōr) (OED)* shiksa or shikse: (often derogatory) a young non-Jewish woman (Yiddish sheygets) (AHD) שײגעץ shikse, a derivative of the above שיקסע* shmendrik: a foolish or contemptible person (from a character in an operetta by Abraham Goldfaden) (OED)* shtetl: a small town with a large Jewish population in pre-Holocaust Eastern Europe (Yiddish שטעטל shtetl 'town', diminutive of שטָא�ט shtot 'city'; cf. German Städtl, South German / Austrian colloquial diminutive of Stadt, city) (AHD)



* shtick: comic theme; a defining habit or distinguishing feature (from Yiddish shtik 'piece'; cf. German Stück 'piece') (AHD) שטיק* shtup: vulgar slang, to have intercourse (from Yiddish ',shtoop" 'push" שטוּפ'poke,' or 'intercourse') (OED)* spiel or shpiel: a sales pitch or speech intended to persuade (from Yiddish יל shpil 'play' or German Spiel 'play') (AHD) שּפ* tchotchke: knickknack, trinket, curio (from Yiddish צקע� ,tsatske צָאtshatshke, from obsolete Polish czaczko) (OED, MW) טשָא�טשקע* tref or trayf or traif: not kosher (Yiddish treyf, from Hebrew ṭərēfā 'carrion') (AHD)* tzimmes: a sweet stew of vegetables and fruit; a fuss, a confused affair, a to-do (Yiddish צימעס tsimes) (OED, MW)* tsuris: troubles (from Yiddish צרות tsores, from Hebrew צרות tsarot 'troubles') (AHD)* tukhus: buttocks, bottom, rear end (from Yiddish חת tokhes, from Hebrew תtaḥath 'underneath') (OED) תחת* tummler: an entertainer or master of ceremonies, especially one who encourages audience interaction (from Yiddish tumler, from tumlen 'make a racket'; cf. German (sich) tummeln 'go among people, cavort') (OED, MW)



* tush (also tushy): buttocks, bottom, rear end (from tukhus) (OED, MW)* vigorish (also contraction vig): that portion of the gambling winnings held by the bookmaker as payment for services (probably from Yiddish, from Russian vyigrysh, winnings) (OED)* verklempt: choked with emotion (German verklemmt = emotionally inhibited in a convulsive way; stuck)* yarmulke: round cloth skullcap worn by observant Jews (from Yiddish ,yarmlke, from Polish jarmułka, ultimate etymology unclear יָא�רמלקעpossibly Turkish) (OED, MW, AHD)* Yekke: (mildly derogatory) a German Jew (Yiddish יעקע Yeke) (OED)* yenta: a talkative woman; a gossip; a scold (from Yiddish יענטע yente, from a given name) (OED, MW)* Yiddish: the Yiddish language (from Yiddish יִידיש yidish 'Jewish', cf. German jüdisch) (AHD)* yontef also yom tov: a Jewish holiday on which work is forbidden, eg. Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Pesach (from Yiddish -טוב� yontef 'holiday', from יוםHebrew טוב yōm ṭōv 'good day') (OED) יום* yutz: a stupid, clueless person ([1] [2])* zaftig: plump, chubby, full-figured, as a woman (from Yiddish ּפ�טיק� zaftik זָא'juicy'; cf. German saftig 'juicy') (OED, MW)


"This is the kind of picture you get to make after you've won an Oscar," writes Todd McCarthy in Variety. I cannot improve on that. After the seriously great "No Country for Old Men," the Coen brothers have made the not greatly serious "A Serious Man," which bears every mark of a labor of love. . . .

Have I mentioned "A Serious Man" is so rich and funny? This isn't a laugh-laugh movie, but a wince-wince movie. Those can be funny, too. The Coens have found mostly unfamiliar actors, or those like Stuhlbarg, Kind and Melamed you've seen before, but you're not quite sure where. I imagine (but do not know) that Joel and Ethan have been kicking this story around for years, passing time by reminding each other of possible characters, seeing an actor and observing, "There's our Mrs. Samsky." Their actors weren't cast, they were preordained.--Roger Ebert


In 25 years of film-making, Joel and Ethan Coen have established themselves as a major international voice, a postmodern sensibility overcome with cosmic jokiness. If No Country for Old Men, in all of its Oscar-winning graveness, was the Coen brothers movie for those who don't like Coen brothers movies, then A Serious Man may alienate the newfound viewer base all over again. It is simultaneously their most personal film - almost autobiographical in its details - and their most muddled, caught like a hairball in the throat (a frustrated simile they'd appreciate) between earnestness and mockery. For perhaps the first time in a Coen film outside No Country we are asked to authentically empathise with a realistic character in a realistic setting, and yet he and the landscape around him suffer the same lampooning slings and sardonic tone as the characters of Raising Arizona (1987), Barton Fink (1991), Fargo (1995) and O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000). It's an old complaint about the Coens, that they cruelly observe their hapless characters as they would pratfalling ants in an ant farm. But I've always thought their comic spirit, for better or worse, has been consistent and sharply observed, allowing melancholy and sensitivity to sneak in naturally like the back-flavours of strong red wine. And now comes A Serious Man, a sincerely sympathetic portrait of an American family man in crisis - even as it insults its characters and derides their culture.--Michael Atkinson, Sight and Sound


So you want to hear a story? I've got one for you. It's about a beleaguered suburban dad who's got problems in his marriage and goes to see the rabbi -- actually, a whole sequence of rabbis -- with unsatisfactory results. It's got an envelope full of money and a glorious 1964 Coupe de Ville in it, both of which lead to startling and unforeseen consequences. It's got a secret message, possibly or probably from Hashem (aka God), inscribed on the teeth of an oblivious goy. This whole story might indeed be a fable about the way Hashem works in the lives of ordinary people -- or it might be about a dybbuk, a demonic spirit from ancient Jewish folklore. Then again, the fable might just be about the disordered, random operations of fate, and the futile human struggle to understand them. . . .--Andrew O'Hehir, Salon


One thing is for sure: This story, which comes to us in the form of a movie called "A Serious Man," is one of the subtlest, darkest and most deceptive ever spun by Joel and Ethan Coen, its writers, directors and producers. This is by far the most personal and revealing film the Coens have ever made, which might not seem like saying much: They're known for creating mannered, sardonic fictional worlds shaped as much (or more) by film history as by real life. But in recapturing the vanished realm where they grew up -- a self-enclosed world of Midwestern Jewish suburbia -- the Coens have crafted perhaps their most original work, one that presents itself, early on, as middleweight middle-American domestic comedy before revealing a strange and secret power that's closer to magic or myth.--Andrew O'Hehir, Salon


“If not now, when?" the Jewish sage Hillel famously asked, and with "A Serious Man" the Coen brothers have answered.

Writer-directors Joel and Ethan have seized the opportunity afforded by the Oscar-winning success of "No Country for Old Men," to make their most personal, most intensely Jewish film, a pitch-perfect comedy of despair that, against some odds, turns out to be one of their most universal as well.--Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times


a serious man(2009) the coen brothers. a serious man(2009) cast the coen brothers

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