A Serious Man—Oct. 2, 2009
(Ed: This is part of a recurring series, in which we dish on newly released trailers—then solicit your feedback. Tell us if you'll see the movie below, in the comments!)
THE LOOK: Top-notch production values—the film promises to be absolutely gorgeous to watch, with sleek, quirky shots and retro tones. And we love the "Cell Block Tango"-style melding of diegetic sound into a really cool, percussive backdrop. It's a seductive hook.
THE FEEL: No surprise that 1967-set A Serious Man will brim with the old Coen leitmotif: brutal violence (skull bashing?) masquerading as black slapstick. But is that a Dumbledore cameo? Also, you might feel a twinge irked that there's not a familiar, Hollywood face among the ensemble cast. Or perhaps that's refreshing?
GRIPES? Minor! Hard to get a read on the plot from the clip, as it's even more confusing than the nonsensical Burn After Reading trailer. Of course, that's partially the point. Better to reveal too little than to run through all your material in 90 seconds.
What do you think—come October, will you shell out for a ticket?
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
