This latest Coen brothers movie focuses on the alienation of a New York City musician in the 1960s. The movie captures some of the cultural upheaval of the time but like its protagonist, Llewyn Davis, wanders aimlessly. I’m not really sure what ‘the message’ is, but watching a guy spending the winter walking around New York without a coat and crashing on couches can hold my interest for only so long. Llewyn is determined to ‘be more’ than his dad, who was a longshoreman—or as he says to his sister, he wants to “really live.” But by the same token, he is one of those hapless souls who misfortune seems to follow—and whose abrasiveness only exacerbates the situation. One key to his malaise is his music partner’s suicide, which no doubt added urgency to his goal. But he is simply not a likeable guy.
Should You See It? As a much-talked-about film, yes. But don’t go in with high expectations. —D.W.
Viewed at Plaza Frontenac Cinema
