Serious Filmmakers

The Coen Brothers enjoy the status that only very few filmmakers have. They get to make a constant stream of films without the stress of having to worry (much) about the success of the last film released. As recognized talent they pretty much are assured that the next film that pops into their head will make its way to a screen near you. Woody Allen also enjoys this status,not always to great success.
Recently "No Country For Old Men" bought The Coens lots of cinematic good will. It allowed them to make a couple of really off-the-beaten-track films. "A Serious Man" is the latest.
It's pretty unusual for the Coen Brothers to make a film this personal, seemingly auto-biographical, and I think this put them at a slight disadvantage. It almost seems to have limited them, like they needed in some way to be truer to their own history. Because of this, "A Serious Man" didn't resonate quite as much for me as their other recent films.
Not that this film is bad filmmaking. To the contrary. This story of a suburban Jewish man leading a suburban Jewish life, deeply tied to his religion and his family, even as everything falls apart around him, is skilled in it's execution and told with the Coen's traditional off-beat comic flare. There are moments of genius. Their heart was really in this film, but mine wasn't.
Still it's great to see the Coen Brothers stretch the limits of their own storytelling ability. They should make more films that feel this deeply personal. See "A Serious Man" if you get the chance. It might resonate more for you.