Michael Stuhlbarg in "A Serious Man"
courtesy of Focus Features
“The Coens Get Serious”

The Coen Brothers always present the unexpected in their movies. Sometimes they are successful – “Fargo,” “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and “No Country For Old Men” – and sometimes they aren’t – “Burn After Reading.” “Intolerable Cruelty” nd “The Ladykillers” – but they are always interesting.

Their latest movie “A Serious Man” is now out on DVD and it is interesting, but also complex from an entertainment viewpoint. It tells the story of a Jewish man named Larry (Michael Stuhlbarg) who finds his life falling apart. His wife is leaving, his worthless brother is staying, and both his children are problems.

In this black comedy the situations are horrendous but the handling of them is comical in the absurd. The plot is also com0plex and hard to follow with symbolism being obscure and difficult. It is better to watch this on DVD than at the movies because on DVD you can go back over some of the more elusive parts of the film.

The Coen Brothers are geniuses and this film has a lot of content to handle. If you devote enough time to it the brilliance begins to emerge but for some people it just might not be worth the effort.

On the other hand “Couples Retreat” is a surprisingly enjoyable movie. It isn’t a hilarious film, nor is it one that scalds the screen with blue jokes. It is just a fairly mature look at four relationships and how they evolve over a few days at a “couples retreat” on an island paradise.

The four couples in the film are Dave and Ronnie (Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman), Jason and Cynthia (Jason Bateman and Kristin Bell), Joey and Lucy (Jon Favreau and Kristin Davis), and Shane and Trudy (Faison Love and Kali Hawk). They each have a special relationship going into the “couples retreat.”

Dave and Ronnie are the most stable ones. They are married and are seemingly happy. Jason and Cynthia are the ones who organize the “couples retreat” because they are on the brink of divorce and want to save their marriage. Joey and Lucy are on the way out of their marriage. They are just waiting for their daughter to go to college and then they are splitsville. Shane and Trudy are not married. Shane is divorced and Trudy is his much younger girlfriend.

At the resort Jason and Cynthia have found, the couples get to enjoy the beauty and activities of an island paradise but they also have to go to couples counseling and take part in couple building events. The entire program is led by a guru named Marcel (Jean Reno). 

Each individual reacts differently to the programs offered and the fun is seeing whose buttons get pushed, and how they react. Some of the actions and reactions are pretty predictable but some are not.

Vaughn and Favreau wrote the script along with Dana Fox, and Peter Billingsley (“Ralphie” in “A Christmas Story”) directed the film. The story is okay but it is the cast that livens things up. Vaughn and Favreau both attained stardom with “Swingers” in which they co-starred, and that same love/hate relationship they exhibited there still stands them in good stead as the two buddies in this movie.

Love also has some good scenes as Shane, the man who is looking for love but in all the wrong places. His frustration with not being able to keep up with his young girlfriend is totally believable, as is his heartbreak over losing his wife (Jennifer Smith).

Davis shows a different side of herself as the sexually voracious Lucy. When she spots hunky masseur Salvadore (Carols Ponce), she is ready to get into the game. Akerman on the other hand is relatively subdued as the faithful Ronnie.

Bateman and Bell are the two surprises in the film. Both of these actors have starred in a variety of roles so parts such as the ones they play here should come easy to them. As Jason and Cynthia the two actors fade into the background. They are overshadowed and out acted by the rest of the cast.

“Couples Retreat” is not the funniest DVD of the year but it is easy to watch and enjoyable. You won’t be raving when you finish it but you should have a smile on your face.

“The Stepfather” is a totally serious film – no comedy here. Step parents sometimes get a raw deal in the way the way they are portrayed in movies and books. But you haven’t seen anything until you watch this DVD where the potential step dad is also a serial killer. Yes in “The Stepfather” you have mom’s new boyfriend plotting to do away with the entire family. 

The film starts with an average looking man preparing for his day. He showers, shaves, puts in a new color of contact lenses, and dresses for the day. As he fixes his breakfast the camera pans back to show the bodies of his family crumpled on the floor. It is a jarring start to a highly suspenseful film. 

The next time we see this man he has taken the name of David Harris (Dylan Walsh) and is shopping at a grocery store. By “accidednt” he meets recently divorced Susan Harding (Sela Ward). She has three children, the oldest of which is Michael (Penn Badgley). He has just returned home from military school and hopes to finish his senior year of high school at home. His girlfriend Kelly (Amber Heard) hopes so too.

After David moves in with his mother, Michael has his suspicions about him but can’t quite put his finger on anything specific. His mother seems happy so he tries to accept him and make the best of the situation. Soon however his father (Jon Tenney) is also suspicious and this leads to trouble.

The best thing about “The Stepfather” is Walsh’s performance. He is an actor who has always played the good guy so this role is quite a change of pace for him. He gives David just the right creepy edge and his eyes are like stones. They show no emotion or warmth.

Badgley is also good as the suspicious son, but he is just too old looking to be a high school junior. The same is true for Heard. Since both of these actors are twenty three it is quite a stretch for them to be playing sixteen or seventeen. Badgley is a good actor but this is just the wrong role for him.

Ward has always been one of my favorite actresses but as Susan she just walks through the part. She never seems concerned about anything and when she discovers the truth it doesn’t seem to affect her that much. Plus her face looks botoxed to the nth degree. She was prettier with a more natural look.

“The Stepfather” builds its suspense slowly as the movie progresses. That is why it is a disappointment when the ending feels rushed. A little more depth and explanation at the end would have made for a better film. Still Walsh makes the movie one worth watching, if not one to rave about.
 

 

 

 

 

©2010 Jackie K. Cooper

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