Dirgeful Lament

Rating: 7/10 (11 March 2017)

This film made me feel the physical cold; the snow, wind, rain along with the gray skies. The atmosphere magnified the way of the world. It reminds me that we are all on a journey through life. Better choices may glean us better rewards and less suffering, but in the end we all die some how and some place.
Llewyn's music was good as far as ability and performance but I tend to agree with the character played by F. Murray Abraham. He said he did not see a lot of money being generated from it. Although music with a lugubrious nature has done so, part of the problem was Llewyn's look. The hippie movement had not yet arrived in 1961. A clean cut look was still needed to succeed. Think of real life folk acts like; Peter, Paul and Mary, The Smothers Brothers or The Kingston Trio, any male singers with a neatly trimmed goatee, even a young Bob Dylan.
The other message in this film was lack of responsibility. Llewyn was more compassionate towards the cat than his two known lady friends. It seemed to be that having an abortion was a standard solution to a heat of the moment careless pregnancy. But it does take two to tango.
The movie went full circle from nowhere to nowhere. The Coen's did a good job of showing the struggle to become famous and the hardships it can cause for oneself and others directly and indirectly involved. At least he was not a heroin user (yet). Hopefully, Llewyn decides to go electric in 1963 at Newport. Rated 7.3/10, slightly better than some 7.0 films.