Latest Coen brothers movie at Rome fest

"We don't even think about it in those terms," Ethan Coen said Thursday, as he and his brother Joel were presenting "A Serious Man" at the Rome Film Festival.

The Coen brothers have a history of making quirky, genre-defying movies, from the acclaimed surreal Hollywood tale "Barton Fink" to the darkly funny "Fargo."

Their latest release is a look back at their own roots. In the film, the life of physics professor Larry Gopnik in a Jewish suburb of Minneapolis is unraveling, both at home and professionally.

"Once you get past a certain point you're just thinking how to be true to the story," Ethan Coen said, "what seems appropriate for the story as opposed to what will make people laugh or whether people will take it as a tragedy or a comedy."

"I'm kind of pleased that there are different reactions in terms of people laughing or not," he said. "What they sort of make of it is up to them."

The movie was shown out of competition at the festival.