When the most likable character in a movie that has John
Goodman, Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan and F. Murray Abraham in the cast is
a cat, you know you’re in for a tough ride.
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| "This song is called I'm A Total Douche Bag and No One Cares." |
Set in 1960’s Greenwich Village, the film follows a week in
the life of struggling folk singer, Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac). Written and
directed by the Coen Brothers, this film falls well short of their typical work. Simply put, there is just nothing to like about the title character. The film
does a good enough job of capturing the look and feel of period but the
character of Llewyn is crafted in a way that he seems to have no redeeming
qualities to rally around as a viewer. Instead, he's just an annoying douche bag
that does nothing but piss off and alienate everyone he comes in contact with.
And not in a funny way.
When this movie first came out I was excited to see it. I
love the Coen Brothers' brand of dark humor but this movie badly missed the mark
for me. Maybe it would have helped if I liked folk music because there is
certainly a lot of it in here. I kept watching and waiting for that moment in
the film for something to turn and give an insight to Llewyn that could redeem
him but it never happens. There are a few brief mentions about his past that I
feel should have been explored but instead were ignored. It’s actually
frustrating how many opportunities were wasted in this movie that could have
saved it.
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| "Dude. Enough with the pussy jokes already!" |
The biggest crime of the film isn’t even the fact that its
protagonist is completely unlikeable, it’s that he is also very boring and by
virtue of his behavior all the people around him end up much the same way.
There is nobody to like, nothing to be learned and none of the usual dark
comedy to be found.
If you want to see a Coen Brothers film, I highly recommend
any one of their previous works instead of this. Inside Llewyn Davis, much like
its title character, is better off being avoided.
-Brian Rohe