Coen Bros.' more 'Serious' work comes to DVD

Michael Stuhlbarg is A Serious Man

Joel and Ethan Coen made an immediate and lasting impact on the film world with their stunning debut work Blood Simple in 1984, and since then have specialized in doing a host of unusual, odd and consistently brilliant things as filmmakers.

They've made tough dramas and silly comedies, blurred genres, cast against type and crafted a legacy of memorable productions that all carry their stamp. And while they frequently collaborate with others on separate projects, the brothers have written, produced and directed all their own movies, maintaining a creative control and continuing quality that's even more remarkable in an era where consultants and test marketing groups often influence directors to make last second casting and plot decisions solely for commercial reasons.

A prime example of their flair and unique approach is the latest Coens' work A Serious Man (Universal), which last week was nominated for multiple Oscars and is being released on DVD Tuesday.

The film is a dark comedy with an intricate storyline and heavy religious/spiritual underpinnings — hardly what studios celebrate when movies about aliens done in 3-D are setting worldwide earning records. While the Coens' have certainly had their share of hits — Fargo, No Country for Old Men and O Brother, Where Art Thou? quickly come to mind — A Serious Man wasn't one of them. But it ranks alongside any previous work in terms of instantly grabbing and holding audience attention.

The bulk of A Serious Man follows the perils of college physics professor Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), living in a Minneapolis surburb during the turbulent '60s. His son Danny (Aaron Wolff) spends most of his time smoking pot. His daughter Sarah (Jessica McManus) has such low self esteem she steals money from her father to get a nose job. His wife Judith (Sari Lennick) is having an affair right in front of him with Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed). Plus he's up for tenure at his school, and is being badgered by a mysterious anti-Semetic individual.

No matter what Larry does, it seems his life gets worse. He's offered bribes, thrown out of his home and eventually even asked to pay for the funeral of the man sleeping with his wife. She even requests he seek the assistance and guidance of three rabbis.

As he tries to cope with an unraveling life, Gopnik tries to answer many questions, among them whether God exists, is life unfair and whether there's really such a thing as good and evil in a modern world.

A Serious Man juggles morose moments and profound discussions with dumb exchanges and hilarious ones, but it's not an upbeat or predictable film. The Oscar publicity should help it in the consumer market, but anyone looking for a lighthearted tale to enjoy over the weekend should pass on this one.

The movie is basically designed for people who want to see tough questions raised and examined, and don't necessarily care whether the answers the Coens' provide mirror their own viewpoints.

TV on DVD

Often successful shows stay around until they lose all momentum, and that was definitely the case with Jag. Rescued by CBS after one season, the show would go on to become a huge hit and even spawn a second smash for the network in NCIS, now CBS' top-rated program. But by its 10th and final season, Jag had run out of steam.

Jag: The Final Season (Paramount), a five-disc boxed set, will be released Tuesday. It contains the last 22 episodes when there were significant cast changes and developments.

Longtime lead star David James Elliott, who played former Navy commander and ace pilot turned top attorney Harmon "Harm" Rabb, only appeared in about half the shows. A new character Gregory Vukovic (Chris Beetem) came in as a regular for eight episodes, and many faithful fans voiced their displeasure. There was also a new commanding officer (David Andrews) and many other complications. As a result, things never quite jelled during the season.

But Jag did get a finale, and that's one of the episodes in this set. Though the 10th year wasn't close to its best, it marked the end of a program that in its prime provided both outstanding courtroom drama and suspenseful military and combat action.