Inside Llewyn Davis

Moses wept. This Cohen brothers film is about a week in the life of a folksinger, Llewyn Davis, in the year 1961. An interesting note is that all the musicians, including Oscar Isaac (Davis), had to play and sing- no lip synching or fake guitar. That is the only impressive thing about this. Llewyn is a loser. His music partner committed suicide. He goes around impregnating women and then raising funds to provide for an abortion. He is disliked by his father and sister.  He acts like an artistic brat with his own obnoxious affectations yet he is forgiven and given a place to eat and sleep by people he has treated like dirt. It is, you see, his right as an artist.  He has so little feeling for others and that is symbolized by his relationship with a beautifully calm orange tabby. In the end, the tabby meets the same fate as everything else in LLewyn's life. He has a peculiar disregard for life and is seemingly unable to care or love. When he is beaten up, you don't feel sorry for him. He is dislikable and irritating; moderately talented but full of himself; a man who seemingly feels nothing while being ingratiating and rude. In other words, he is a jackass. One other thing about having a lead character so unlikeable is that it  leads to is boredom. You heard me- a Cohen brothers movie that is just damn boring.  It is hard to believe that a team that has made cult classics like Fargo and Raising Arizona, as well as making one of the best movies of all time, No Country for Old Men, could actually sit down and make such an abysmal film. I'd like to give it 2 stars because maybe something redeeming can be seen in it- but this is a movie for which there is no audience. I'm sorry. Go back and rent Fargo or No Country. It'll be better for you. I'm giving it one star because of the guitar playing and the cat.