Without Consequence

Against my better judgement, I went and saw the new Coen brothers movie, Inside Llewyn Davis. I thought this time might be different, that the Dylan-esque subject matter of the New York folk scene in the 60's would make for an enjoyable movie experience. I was wrong. I had the same feeling I get at the end of every Coen brothers movie, best summarized by the question I asked myself after the final scene: that's it?

Maybe it's just me; maybe my sensibilities aren't as fine-tuned as the rest of the American movie-going public, but I feel the Coen bothers' brand of quiet desperation is wanting substance. Don't get me wrong, it was nicely shot, well acted and well scripted, the music was great and it managed to nicely capture the atmosphere of a time; despite all of that though, the story itself was insipid and unfulfilling. It was like dining at a restaurant with an enticing menu; fine ingredients and excellent presentation, great service and good portions, yet the food arrives and somehow you're unimpressed.

All of the events of the movie seem to occur without consequence. Early in the film Llewyn (Oscar Isaac) loses his friend's cat - aptly named Ulysses - and later it simply returns. Later, Davis discovers he has a two year old son, but it has no bearing on anything that happens thereafter. In another scene he learns he's gotten a friend pregnant, which again has no real significance short of establishing Isaac's character as an asshole via Carey Mulligan's tirade. John Goodman O.D's without consequence; he just takes a nice nap in the backseat, like the cat. I had no interest in any of the characters, well, except for maybe the cat.

I'm still having difficulty figuring out what the message of the film is. The movie didn't even really tell a story, nothing happened. It was like watching a stale episode of Seinfeld.