tsuris*

* = trouble ☻
ha, that ol' devil called the meaning of life! i'm not in for what i'm getting as i start the dvd, because as per usual, i do not read the summary. a coen brothers production doens't need much introduction anyway. [for once, i did dive into the dvd extra's, just to get some twists clarified. i can honestly state i can see clearly now.]

i haven't got a clue why, but i always have been intrigued by the hebrew way of life [bar the religious connotation]. i found myself on a synagogue tour in london once (that could have been sheer inattention on my behalf), and i clearly remember a jewish friend's wit, in her approach on things, herself and life, when first bumping into her and her operatic voice on a night train through danish landscape. later in life i chuckled no end and for various reasons, when introducing my younger self to THE NANNY.

besides the kosher humour, here now we find ourselves in the exciting year of 1967, which is a blessing in itself for all that vintage interior deco.... oi! both directors, themselves originating from the midwest where the movie is set, use childhood memories to build a few strong storylines, a foggy bar mitzhva event and a serious midlife crisis for the main character but being two topics. there is so much going on, on different levels, the film makes for an interesting documentary, besides a really good movie.
i remember watching BURN AFTER READING twice straight, for the humour and the twists so cracked me up. A SERIOUS MAN does hold a more complex message (or does it?) : life is a mystery! ...
[... and coen brothers make outstanding cinema.]