tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post6206516527776775209..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS: My reviewBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54451462852436026062017-09-20T07:49:02.597-07:002017-09-20T07:49:02.597-07:00Fuck catsFuck catsAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07537701647174287246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-12319435133702854692016-03-12T19:32:38.408-08:002016-03-12T19:32:38.408-08:00Couldn't agree more. Movies are supposed to be...Couldn't agree more. Movies are supposed to be entertaining. This is anti-entertaining. It bums you out and then puts you to sleep and then when you wake up it's still going. I don't think explosions are necessary in a movie for it to be fun, but I wish something did blow up so it didn't feel like a complete waste of time. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-3690239182333321852016-03-04T14:56:57.331-08:002016-03-04T14:56:57.331-08:00I love this film. It resonates with that cold, tir...I love this film. It resonates with that cold, tired, dead, cynical part of a person who is still trying, but fed up with everything failing. Maybe I'm just more tolerant of despicable characters. To me they felt honest. I've met people like every character in this. It is actually a hopeful film for me, in that it gives a little nod and a wink to the people who miss the cultural boat. That's what the film is about, missing opportunities, and being your own worst enemy. A comedy of errors. Benign and inevitable failure. That being said, I haven't stayed with the Coens much since No Country. DLargonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-71718633501203959402015-10-16T02:35:16.267-07:002015-10-16T02:35:16.267-07:00I think your instincts are spot-on. Love the Coen ...I think your instincts are spot-on. Love the Coen Bros., but was very disappointed with this thoroughly unlikable film. Other than John Goodman's appearance, there was nothing else to show how remarkable & loveable the best of the Coen Bros.'s work can be.Booker Tnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-72953346389057636312015-05-17T05:43:08.060-07:002015-05-17T05:43:08.060-07:00Hated this movie. Was friends and worked with peop...Hated this movie. Was friends and worked with people coming out of the Gaslight. I also love cats and this character was as misogynistic and egocentric as they come. His shallowness showed up in his lyrics too. There is nothing inside Llewyn Davis. HATED THIS. Why not celebrate the genius of the times. Glad he got punched out finally and glad Dylan upstaged him at the end. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74572603685845934752014-11-30T20:32:36.637-08:002014-11-30T20:32:36.637-08:00He doesn't save the cat, or more accurately ca...He doesn't save the cat, or more accurately cats, over and over. He endangers them over and over. Ulysses saves himself, finding his own way home. The un-named female (no scrotum?) Is injured and left to die on the highway.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-31187090449614086512014-07-16T18:38:10.728-07:002014-07-16T18:38:10.728-07:00Spot on, Ken. I just watched this atrocity and ca...Spot on, Ken. I just watched this atrocity and can NOT believe the sterling reviews it received. I just sent a scathing email to a friend of mine which said essentially the same thing you said.<br /><br />I didn't read the reviews (hype) for the film until the night before I viewed it and when I saw all those red ripe tomatoes, I thought it was going to be GREAT. Sooo, it's the Coens and everyone is saying it's their "best film ever." Ooookay...<br /><br />As I told my friend in the email tonight, the first 40 minutes in I was bored and wondered where the film was going. <br /><br />An hour in and I wanted to stick ice picks in my eyes.<br /><br />No redeeming qualities except maybe for the set designer. Oh, but I got tired of the Woody Allen palette of browns, beiges, blacks, and grays, so maybe not.<br /><br />I think the Coen's came up with an ending and then wrote the film around it, stealing what the they could.<br /><br />Want to see a far, FAR better film from those early 60s in Greenwich Village? <b>NEXT STOP GREENWICH VILLAGE</b> by Paul Mazursky (r.i.p, a great filmmaker).<br /><br />Hell, even "A Mighty Wind" nailed the era better than the Coens.<br /><br />One more thing - I googled "Inside Ilewyn Davis, awful movie" after viewing it. Your column came up first on the list. I'm a FB friend of yours so that was a nice thing to see.<br /><br />I agree completely with you about how people are so afraid of appearing "uncool" nowadays; sheeple!FB Friendnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-83068657506836862182014-05-29T12:36:49.646-07:002014-05-29T12:36:49.646-07:00I thought the lack of politics was a big problem. ...I thought the lack of politics was a big problem. <br /><br />Kevin LAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-17543609461446788662014-05-11T00:07:10.901-07:002014-05-11T00:07:10.901-07:00I agree, this movie was a dissapointment ... espec...I agree, this movie was a dissapointment ... especially after all the hype and the fact I am fascinated by that time period in NY. I also love cats ... which made this movie suck even more. Your blog came up first after Googling "Inside Llewyn Davis sucks"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-61202495935990499742014-05-10T01:06:25.693-07:002014-05-10T01:06:25.693-07:00Laurie said...
Couldn't agree more with this ...Laurie said...<br /><br />Couldn't agree more with this review. Certainly for me in this case the emperor has no clothes. The story is relentless in it's tedium, the characters unlikeable and the film itself over stylised and over indulged.As for the music, it is shockingly boring - with one fawning critic actually claiming that this (poor music) is part of the film's genius... you just have to laugh that they can get away with it. <br />I actually like the Coen's but this is a stinker. <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-3515492303342525432014-03-31T18:10:30.969-07:002014-03-31T18:10:30.969-07:00I agree, this movie sucked. I'm a big fan of ...I agree, this movie sucked. I'm a big fan of Coen Bros. and of the 1960s Greenwich scene, but this movie was really unlikeable. <br /><br />It didn't have any of the cool, intelligent artsy conversations you would attribute to that Greenwich scene, except for a few minutes of the heroin-addled John Goodman character. Instead it replaced that with a few scenes of chasing a cat. <br /><br />What's more, the main character is an ungrateful jerk who seems to think the world owes him something. <br /><br />The only thing going for it is the quality of the filmstock and the sound quality. The songs were BORING, every single one except the Bob Dylan song at the end. So, the music sucked, the guy was a jerk. Very very disappointing.Jacknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-21849599868560884242014-03-17T00:23:39.585-07:002014-03-17T00:23:39.585-07:00If you read a short story by Flannery O' Conno...If you read a short story by Flannery O' Connor or Hemmingway or Faulkner, you don't expect some of the things that are expected of film today, but they are considered great works. Even so, they leave you in an uncomfortable place of tension. It seems that we live in a culture that demands to be entertained. I agree that there is the element of hope missing, but the reality of the human condition on it's own is utterly hopeless and if the Coen Brothers are nihilistic in their worldview in this film (which I don't always think they end up being in all of their work) it shouldn't be surprising what they come up with. However, on the flip side, I find it encouraging that so many are complaining of the emptiness of the film and their disappointment in it in that regard. This is proof that there are those who are searching for meaning beyond the bleak, sardonic, outcomes of life without it. Rather than a warning given from literature that screams loudly "turn around!" the film falls into the category of, "Watch it, this could be all there is". That, I do not believe. Those who felt the gnawing ache after watching it, take heart. There are still points to take away from the film. After that, walk away. Leave the Coen brothers where they are at. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-31290280477881723572014-03-17T00:16:44.046-07:002014-03-17T00:16:44.046-07:00I REALLY wanted to like the movie...but, as you ha...I REALLY wanted to like the movie...but, as you have said Ken...this movie has no soul. ...but Llewyn is just an aimless putz ..Carey Mulligan's character is the most soulless of all and like most women I have ever met...she nails very guy in the bar and blames me for her behavior....talk about coming up empty...and that has not changed since 1961...it has gotten MUCH worse! :-)<br />I have no idea why the critics waxed about this movie...maybe they all have the soul of Jean (Carey)?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09863928507522191337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-37939123608482611472014-03-16T15:38:48.825-07:002014-03-16T15:38:48.825-07:00Sorry for coming so late to the party, but I just ...Sorry for coming so late to the party, but I just saw the movie on Pay Per View last night, and am still trying to make sense of it.<br /><br />So, I Googled the reviews, just to get context, and found such an overwheling critical acclaim that I, too, wondered whether these very knowledgeable folks saw the same movie I did. <br /><br />So, it was very refreshing to me to have come across Ken's review and the varied comments about the movie, pro and con, on this thread. <br /><br />I'm still curious about the same thing that Sean was wondering about: Was the movie essentially a flashback to explain the opening scene?<br /><br />If so, then to me the movie becomes "Groundhog Day" meets "Forrest Gump," but with a twist from chaos theory (you know, the butterfly flapping its wings eventually sets of a hurricane). <br /><br />In one iteration, the first, the cat (butterfly) gets out of the apartment and sets off a whole chain of events that culminate in Llewyn getting beat up in the alley outside the club. In the second iteration, the cat does not get out, and few events ensue. But regardless, fate is fate, and the end is still the same: Llewyn still gets beat up outside the club.<br /><br />That's the only sense I've been able to make of this. <br /> Robertonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-76292784870817864042014-03-14T21:28:11.269-07:002014-03-14T21:28:11.269-07:00Thank you, Ken, for confirming my faith in my own ...Thank you, Ken, for confirming my faith in my own bad review for this movie! I just watched it, after reading a bunch of shining reviews, and because I was interested in John Goodman's character after seeing previews. <br /><br />The only endearing quality in Llewellen's character was his uncharacteristic initial displays of responsibility for returning the cat who he accidentally let out of the owner's house. Nearly every other move he made was either rude, heartless, stupid, ill-mannered, insensitive, ungrateful, irresponsible, self-centered, or self-sabotaging - I kept waiting for the asshole to make one really good decision, and it never happened! What was the point of the man in the suit who he twice let beat the shit out of him? Was that some sort of artistic symbolism, since he let it roll off his back both times (not his nature), and didn't show any bruises or seem to have broken ribs... was Mr. Mean in the alley his conscience?<br /><br />Being a cat lover who actually cried when he left the sweet, loving kitty with John Goodman, I had to justify it in my mind by thinking a nice cop would rescue her, and I must get that whole scene out of my mind. The Coens are without a doubt cat-haters, or heartless themselves. This is merely my biggest regret for watching the movie, waiting for Asshole to reciprocate some goodness and maybe feel some fondness for someone!<br /><br />What is wrong with the Coens and critics who think this is a wonderful movie? I felt no sense of nostalgia, and if I hadn't read it, and only the reference to President Kennedy in the song would identify the time period. Asshole has a decent voice and plays guitar well enough, but he blew it and never listened. Another downer. <br /><br />I could go on and on, but want to stop thinking about it. Both thumbs down, and wish I could get a refund, but I rented it through the cable company. Thank you, Ken Levin, for restoring my faith in mankind - I actually had to Google Negative reviews for this movie, because I could only find positive ones; then I had to comb through the "negative" ones that were actually mostly "positive" to find your blog!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-88570435281258795152014-03-12T20:00:16.207-07:002014-03-12T20:00:16.207-07:00HUGE disappointment with a promising start. The ke...HUGE disappointment with a promising start. The key word in your whole review? Pointless.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-42774964654015792672014-01-28T22:14:58.827-08:002014-01-28T22:14:58.827-08:00I agree. I hated the film. It was boring lacklustr...I agree. I hated the film. It was boring lacklustre and a complete joke. Why make a film, waste all that energy and money on such a dull plodding antihero, who does not represent that particular era in the history of popular music? It was just a badly scripted and badly made film. I have no idea why the Coen brothers bothered. They didnt represent that era in Greenwich Village truthfully, the songs that T Bone Burnet wrote were hideous and an insult to genuine folk singers - Vale Pete Seeger - and to all musicians. i want my money back from every reviewer - read pretty much all reviewers - who said what a great film this was. Obviously being paid or too gutless to speak from the heart.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44553836560802428812014-01-27T06:24:56.236-08:002014-01-27T06:24:56.236-08:00"Here’s what I think: The Coen Brothers are l..."Here’s what I think: The Coen Brothers are laughing at all of them. And if they are then I applaud them. That’s the kind of detached delicious black humor I’ve come to admire from the creators of FARGO, BLOOD SIMPLE, RAISING ARIZONA, THE BIG LEBOWSKI, and others. Maybe they said, “Hey, just for fun, let’s make an incredibly self-indulgent pointless film and see how many critics find meaning in it and crown us the most thrilling American filmmakers of the last quarter-century.”"<br /><br />Ugh, this nonsense. You love the Coens, and yet you think so little of them that they would craft a film like this just to spite you? Can't you just dislike a film and find issues with its character, story, plotting, pacing, etc. without resorting to Emperor's New Clothes, straw man arguments?<br /><br />I mean, for directors with a filmography so varied and eccentric, it's hardly surprising that not everyone likes every single one of them. But it's awfully disingenuous to start hacking away at them because you didn't connect with this particular film. I'm sure you wouldn't want someone calling you some kind of artistic shyster for making Dharma & Greg after you worked on Cheers and The Simpsons. Artists don't have to be perfect all the time, and often, imperfections are what make them most interesting. <br /><br />It's also incredibly demeaning to film critics, who do what they do out of a sheer love of film regardless of whether you agree with them or not, and I assure you, we don't delight in going against consensus or seeing filmgoers dislike a movie that's been very widely praised. <br /><br />It's also demeaning to label people who like something you don't as pretentious, just as it's deamning to label people who dislike something you do unsophisticated. I really would expect a higher level of civility here.<br /><br />One other thing, can everyone please put a stop to the notion that watching a film, or engaging in any art, is time-wasting? You never get nothing out of art, even at its very worst.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-5927606064144726582014-01-25T16:00:32.783-08:002014-01-25T16:00:32.783-08:00This review annoys me, not because I disagree (whi...This review annoys me, not because I disagree (which I do) but Ken Levine effectively says I'm an idiot because I disagree.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-60015274352454609272014-01-25T10:14:17.379-08:002014-01-25T10:14:17.379-08:00I agree with you completely, so I won't repeat...I agree with you completely, so I won't repeat all you said. I am a cat lover so most of the movie really bothered me. Don't care if they were making an anti-"Save the Cat" point. It was just unnecessary and I'm really tired of seeing animals being harmed every time I watch an award winning movie! It's a lazy way to get emotion out of an audience. The Coen Brothers should be better than that.DCnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-62234250037628103422014-01-24T10:15:33.242-08:002014-01-24T10:15:33.242-08:00Taking a cat into the subway station is just cruel...Taking a cat into the subway station is just cruel - therefore, I will not be adding to the Coen's coffers ever again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4102838478495846092014-01-23T11:29:41.703-08:002014-01-23T11:29:41.703-08:00This guy is a real loser, thinks way too much of h...This guy is a real loser, thinks way too much of himself. Abandons the cat, then kills a dog. No wonder he never amounted to anything. This is a depressing, bad movie.Jack Rollinsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-12643117959814218952014-01-22T19:57:28.150-08:002014-01-22T19:57:28.150-08:00He abandons the cat and kills a dog.
Where is the ...He abandons the cat and kills a dog.<br />Where is the good in this movie?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-53321719296175084912014-01-22T19:56:02.740-08:002014-01-22T19:56:02.740-08:00What a depressing film! This guy is so wrong for ...What a depressing film! This guy is so wrong for the part, no musical ambiance to him at all. Then he abandons his cat in a car, then kills a dog while driving. No good karma could ever come to this guy. Horrible movie.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-24523428657916427422014-01-22T15:58:11.807-08:002014-01-22T15:58:11.807-08:00I think the Coen brothers just have a very odd in...I think the Coen brothers just have a very odd intricate sense of humour t thainvolves their lead characters being elaborately wrong and deluded.<br />I think this one is bit like Barton Fink. You've got the earnest but basically not very talented artist forcing himself into doing the wrong thing, plus it's again a sideways satire on screen writing. In Barton Fink the subtext was the rise of Shane Black and million dollar payouts for generic action film scripts that are all the same anyway, just like wrestling pictures. In this one it's the Save The Cat formula. which it both pokes holes in and follows almost verbatim at the same time. I don't think it's really about the 60s folk scene and I'm pretty certain the title is ironic because there's not a lot going on inside llewyn davis in the first place.<br />I wish they would just expand that fantastic, funny and sinister opening of a serious man into a full feature film. Coz honestly I really love idea of a comedic jewish folk horror movie,glennnoreply@blogger.com