Starring: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Justin Timberlake, Garrett Hedland, Adam Driver
Director: Joel & Ethan Coen
A week in the life of Llewyn Davis (Isaac), a failing folk singer in 60’s Greenwich Village, who goes from couch to couch, hoping to make it and mourning for the singing partner that he lost. Llewyn is not a very nice man, snapping at people, sleeping with their girlfriends, losing their beloved pets and generally being belligerent. And with his talents generally being considered nice but not special, it seems a hopeless case.
It’s A Must See Because: This is one of those Coen brothers films that have a hopeless protagonist who can’t get out of his own way, and actually isn’t very nice, and yet from that central conceit, all the humour and cynicism rises that makes the story so arresting and unusual.
Whilst watching this film, there is a scene in a car with John Goodman, in which Goodman states that if Llewyn keeps being rude, that as a practitioner of voodoo he’ll put a curse on him, and that when his life is falling apart down the line he’ll realise he’s been cursed. It’s a small scene, a moment really, and it’s very funny. But with the start and finish of the film mirroring each other, I wondered whether one reading of the film might be that the curse is real, and that Lewlyn is perhaps stuck living the worst week of his life over and over. It’s just a thought.
See It If: should make Coen brothers fans happy, and those of you who love folk music, or films that have a bit of quirk and humour.
Wildfire Movies 
Ah – thanks for this review – I’ve heard so many negatives (and yes, the only way to decide if you like a movie is to see it) but this sounds like a movie I’d like.
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You’re welcome, I hope you do enjoy it.
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I agree Llewyn is far from a perfect person but what I took away from it was in a way the reason he keeps making things worse is the pain and anger he feels at the all injustices of the world, his father in that nursing home, not being able to get the money, Carey Mulligan being called a slut by that guy at the bar. When we meet him he’s grieving his former musical partner and responsible for a child being aborted. Something he feels tremendous loss and guilt about. He’s a fuck-up but worst for him, he knows it. Anyway that is one interpretation and I just don’t want to think I didn’t judge him for the way he hurts other people but I do feel there’s some good in him deep down. I like this reading of the bookends of the film and John Goodman ‘s character.
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