“A Serious Man”
** 1/2 Rating | Joel and Ethan Coen’s quietly amusing, philosophically rich tale about a beset family man is set in a Minnesota suburb 1967, a time when the Coens themselves were coming of age outside Minneapolis. Michael Stuhlbarg is Larry Gopnick. The physics professor isn’t Job. These days it doesn’t take as much to send a man of faith reeling. But he does embark on a journey to understand God’s will leads him to three rabbis and one divorce lawyer. The ensemble is pitch perfect, especially Richard Kind as Larry’s beleaguered brother and Fred Melamed as his wife’s lover. R. 1 hour, 45 minutes. Lisa Kennedy
“Couples Retreat”
** 1/2 Rating | Four couples land on an island that doesn’t indulge their fantasies but challenges them to work on their relationships. Perhaps that sounds unfunny. But in the midst of marriage fatigue, stars Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau (co-writers, along with Dana Fox) find plenty of comedy, some of it buoyant, some of it unexpectedly insightful. Jason Bateman, Faizon Love, Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis and Malin Akerman round out the pairs. Jean Reno plays New Age-y relationship guru Marcel. PG-13. 1 hour, 53 minutes. Lisa Kennedy
“The Time Traveler’s Wife”
** 1/2 Rating | Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana play their roles straight and seriously, have a pleasant chemistry, and sort of involved me in spite of myself. They’re just so . . . nice. He’s a time traveler and disappears when you and he least expect it. You have to suspend belief over a lot of the details but all in all it’s a sweet movie. PG-13. 1 hour, 47 minutes. Roger Ebert
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