A great paradox of the Coen Brothers' films is that they are all exactly the same even as they are all miraculously different. If you're a fan of theirs, I think that would make perfect sense to you. However, even if you've never seen a single one of their films, I'd wager that if I placed ten random films in front of you and two of them were made by the Coens, you'd correctly pick them out. There's just a certain quality to their work -- a meticulous, inventive attention to detail -- that is immediately obvious. Their latest film, A Serious Man is no exception. Simply put, it's strange and ordinary, funny and tragic. More simply, it's brilliant. more ›