Darker Slice of Life Tribute to Folk Music

Rating: 6/10 (8 July 2014)

"Life is a journey", but if you see anything romantic in that statement, you are not Llewyn Davis. It almost appears like he is on the verge of loving his art, - but without this love he is going nowhere fast. He sings his heart out but is his heart really in it, or is he just trying to scrape a few nickels together; keep on keeping on until he achieves some version of success in the music world?
But I wonder if the desperation portrayed in this movie is merely applying today's negative image of a penniless couch-surfer onto what was a more dynamic, and younger 1960's Greenwich - where musicians sleeping on couches might have been the norm - and might not have been such a bad time (especially if you factor in the marijuana which the movie completely overlooked). In any event, if you're not having fun doing it, maybe you're not in it for the right reasons. The script seemed designed to extract as much emotional punishment out of each scene as possible. Don't worry, this isn't the suffering of child-laborers in Africa. In the end we're supposed to care for an under-appreciated artist - amongst many - trying to make the world a better place, hopefully, like an artist should. Good to acknowledge that. History has lost masterpieces, no doubt. "Without the flower the branch shall die"
Strange situations and strange people materialize in fun Coen brothers fashion, and we have to draw out some important symbolism. Characters emerge but are left - like his past - not fully developed or explained. This one's got a little of the blues in it. You are better off rooting for the cat.