Rented a couple weeks ago.

I first have to admit I am a big Coen bros guy, so that helps but this movie is not for everybody. Unless you like most of their work you might want to skip this one.

With that said I really enjoyed it. I certainly liked it more than Burn After Reading.

Its basically about a guy who is sort of cursed, and that kind of ties into a very strange but entertaining opening scene. The plot, well there is not much of one. It is basically about a few days in the life of a sadsack jewish guy who constantly has sh*t pile on top of him. Bad thing after bad thing happens to him in a very dark comedy but I laughed at lots of it. There are no real quotable lines. Nothing really happens. Sound great? I liked it! The biggest plot points are about a kid getting his transistor radio taken from him, and the fact that their television won't get F-Troop. But it worked for me. There were a few jokes that are sort of inside if you grew up here in Minneapolis/St Paul that most people won't get, but other than that its pretty universal.

I think if you are a fan of black comedy, and enjoy the Coens you will like it. If you don't "get" the Coens, you won't like this movie. Not Lebowski good, but a fun rental.

 

Being Jewish helps allot with the message and the humor, i can't recommend this to everyone either, certainly no fargo or lebowski,etc...
This could amount to a Spoiler, so be warned....

i have seen it a few times and understand much of their humor, they wanted to make a jewish populated story with icons from growing up in that community in that time, etc...the 3 rabbis, the bully at school, the geek kid, bitchy wife, shades of wisdom from the torah, the hip neighbor, the redneck neighbor, the hebrew school teacher and the temple secretaries, etc...even the smoking doctor, it just goes on....

i have to see it again when i am in the mood and maybe with someone who has not seen it...meaning derrived from it is another whole topic which shows how complex this story is....