Music Provides a Gateway to the Hidden Soul

Rating: 7/10 (23 July 2016)

A somber, often morose walk through the self-imposed daily miseries of a struggling musician at the onset of the '60s folk revival. Strangely paced and often lingering, like many Coen brothers films, it's densely packed with backstory that, while only hinted, reverberates as though it had been fully explored. Llewyn carries several weights with him; a disintegrating family, several failed relationships, a constant need to seek out empty couches for the night and a personal guilt for never quite cracking the big-time. He's a cold character, quick with angry outbursts and hurtful words, but we see a hidden warmth when he wraps his arms around a guitar and steps up to the mic. The film as a whole cherishes such musical interludes, shines them like a flashlight upon each character's innermost spirit: troubled, worried, silly, it's all out in the open on the stage, no matter how guarded the individual may be away from those bright lights. The plot doesn't have a lot of direction - at the core, it's a relatively unspectacular week in the life of a nobody - and that can make it dull and plodding at times. It touches a lot of emotions, though, from laugh-out-loud funny to quietly desolate, and the quality of the music makes up for a lot of its shortcomings. A worthwhile journey, if not a spectacular one.