How do we handle adversity? When life hands you serious crisis, what do you turn to for answers to your existential questions? Many, many people turn to faith but what do we do when that is inadequate? Faith, by its very definition, relies on believing that the hardships that befall us are happening for a reason that we will never know. It's some “higher plan.” And yet, we are asked to live good, moral lives while it feels like forces are working against us. A Serious Man is about a math teacher, a man used to breaking things down into proofs, trying to navigate perhaps the most morally treacherous window of his life without giving in and breaking the rules that his Jewish faith has set up to guide the way. How do we stick to the rules when we feel like the way is no longer being guided? The spectacular A Serious Man doesn't give us the answers as much as it raises the questions for us in a new, funny, dark, fascinating way. The Coen brothers have done it again. They've made one of the best films of their already spectacular careers.

A Serious Man opens with a Yiddish parable, a scene set hundreds of years ago in which a man returns home to tell his wife that he has just run into a town elder on a snowy night and that the elder is coming over for dinner. The wife tells her husband that this is impossible for she has heard that the older man recently died. This means to her that what is about to come through the door is a Dybbuk (a demon) and they must kill it. The man is stuck. Does he believe the elder is good or does he believe his wife? The parable has no direct relation to the body of A Serious Man other than that it serves as a thematic prologue for another man with no positive way out. He's in a lose-lose situation and he turns to his somewhat lost faith for answers and only finds more questions.

That man is Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg). His wife is leaving him for an older man named Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed). His son doesn't care about his upcoming Bar Mitzvah and would rather listen to Jefferson Airplane on his transistor radio and smoke pot. His neighbor is a creepy guy who takes his kid out of school to go hunting and pushes Larry's property line. His brother Arthur (Richard Kind) lives on the couch and may be losing his mind. His student leaves a wad of cash on his desk in pursuit of a better grade and when Larry brings it up, tries to blackmail him. The nude sunbathing neighbor who speaks of “the new freedoms” is undeniably intriguing but, of course, nothing but trouble. And that's not even all of it. As the wave of bad luck hits Larry, he turns to Judaism, trying to meet with Rabbis in his community for guidance. They offer more parables, vague guidance, and general support, but Larry is a man whose life is dictated by proofs. And he sees none in his sliding life.

Heavily inspired by the youth of Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man has been called the brothers most personal film yet. Don't read into those stories that this is a touchy-feely Coen take on The Wonder Years. It's far from it. Yet there is a definitely a love for Larry Gopnik and his plight. They understand the catch-22 of Larry's life. It's a timeless question – how do you stay a good, faithful man when it's clearly not getting you anywhere?

And that question leads to some of the most vibrant, interesting filmmaking of the year. A Serious Man is a film that lingers with the viewer on so many levels. You’ll be struck by moments or scenes weeks later, like a religious story that only later finds resonance in your own life. You'll remember Roger Deakins' amazing cinematography, including an offbeat, wonderful final shot that stands as my favorite ending of the year by far. You'll remember Stuhlbarg's perplexed look that registers not just intellectual confusion but emotional as well. Stuhlbarg never overplays what could have been a two-dimensional, straight-man role, giving a great debut performance. Larry never whines or moans. He is merely, like all of us, seeking answers. The answer to whether or not the Coens had another amazing film in them after their Best Picture-winning No Country for Old Men has been delivered by A Serious Man. They absolutely did.

Rating: FOUR BONES