The Coen Brothers have never been ones to rest on their laurels. They quickly followed their Oscar-winning "No Country For Old Men" (2007) with "Burn After Reading" in 2008, and now they already have another film finished, "A Serious Man" (opening October 2). Check out the trailer courtesy of Focus Features.
If "Burn After Reading" seemed packed with celebrities and art house actors -- Brad Pitt, George Clooney, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton -- then "A Serious Man" seems to be banking on talented, lesser known performers. The best known name I saw in the credits is probably Adam Arkin. The film serves up a black comedy set in 1967 and concerning a Midwestern professor (played by Michael Stuhlbarg) whose life is unraveling. The trailer displays the Coen's great integration of image, editing, sound, and performance. I love how the pounding of a man's head against a wall sets the perverse tone and pace of trailer. It's funny yet painful, a space the Coen's have occupied before. The Coens excel at the beautiful orchestration of elements. Even in this trailer you can sense the control the Coen's exercise over their material. This is one of the films I am most looking forward to in the coming months. Enjoy!
