The one thing you can guarantee with a Coen brothers film is that you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get. It could be a comedy, drama, comedy/drama, dark comedy/drama etc. They don’t always get it right, but even a bad Coen film is worth watching. This is far from bad, but it does just fall short of them at their best.

It’s 1967 and Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a humble physics professor at a Midwestern university, is treadmilling through life. He’s unaware of most things around him; this includes his daughter taking cash from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job, and his son smoking joints at school.

One day however, his wife decides to tell him that she is unhappy and wants out. Oh and that she now wants to be with family friend Sy Ableman (Fred Ableman). And they’ve decided it would be best for everyone if Larry moved out and stayed at the local motel.

Understandably Larry is distressed by this bolt out of the blue, particularly as it has materialised at a time when he’s up for tenure. Not only that, he also has to contend with a foreign student who has attempted to bribe him for a pass mark; his genius brother still living with him, who is somewhat on the socially awkward side; someone who keeps writing hostile letters to the board saying he’s not terribly nice; and a redneck neighbour who has plans underway to encroach on Larry’s garden.

Needless to say, this sets Larry into a freefall tailspin. These events lead him to look to his faith for support and answers; but unfortunately for him, the Rabbis he visits don’t appear to offer much in the way of resolutions. Their best advice they have, is for him to see the legendary Rabbi Marshak; but as it would be almost easier to have an audience with the pope, Larry’s dilemma seems all the more hopeless.

After their venture into the fairly mainstream with their last film Burn after Reading, the brothers Cohen return to more recognisable waters with their latest release. Although set within a Jewish community, and many of the problems the lead character faces are driven by the religion, it squarely deals with issues of the everyman.

Larry is so oblivious to the problems around him that it takes a massive jolt to his system to act as his wake-up call. In this case, the catalyst is his wife’s demand for a divorce. Suddenly everything around him begins to melt into middle class chaos. His journey is captured in typical Coen fashion; a downward spiral littered with obscure, comedic noir moments.

The brothers could never be accused of pandering to the mainstream, as the cast is completely made up of unknowns; sure there are a few familiar faces like that of Fred Melamed (Sy Ableman) and Adam Arkin (Divorce Lawyer), but none of whom you’d probably remember without a little brain-racking. This proves that although it’s nice to have the likes of Brad and George appear in your film, they aren’t essential. No, really they aren’t.

The unfamiliar cast help provide a vibrant frame to a beautifully realised story. They are real characters, one and all. Stuhlbarg in particular does a fantastic job as Larry, as we witness his buried emotions slowly bubble to the surface. And although it’s difficult not have your heart go out to him, his performs always reminds the audience that he’s really only got himself to blame.

The only thing that really lets the film down is its ending: If you felt slightly robbed and cheated with the finale to Burn after Reading, then you really need to prepare yourself for a similar fate. Someone should remind the Coens that there really is a fine line between quirky and cocky.

That said, the Coens can be forgiven for almost anything – yes, even The Ladykillers. They are probably the closest thing Hollywood has to modern day auteurs, and that should always be supported.

And although A Serious Man is mostly quiet in nature, it oozes a welcome charm, becoming more contagious as the story unfolds, providing an enjoyable insight into one man’s world set for self destruction. Not quite a classic, but yet another delightful detour a la the Coens.