LB Sees INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS

This turd in a blanket is on so many “Best of” lists that after I saw it I felt compelled to write a review about how empty, soulless, and dispiriting it was. About how a slice of the life of a no-talent, selfish, boring loser is not the same as telling a story. About how all I could think of as I watched was that I was in hell…a Coen brothers hell and not even my own, to boot.

I hated this film and couldn’t wait to publish my hatred so my piece would effect potential audiences the way the heads of beheaded criminals hanging on city walls were designed to yell, “Beware!” to criminal members of medieval populaces.

But then, on Facebook, my old friend Bob Ward (you know him from one Acme Ton O’Novels plus as a producer of The Original MIAMI VICE) had his say…and he said it so well that there I realized that my rant was but a pale shadow of his compelling critique. So why even try to re-create a masterpiece? Here it is, Bob Ward on INSIDE LLEWYNN DAVIS:

Saw the Coens’ flick. Great acting, cool shots of walk ups. Familiar types from the 60’s but mainly a drag because the main character is semi talented, doesn’t write his own songs, doesn’t commit to his work, doesn’t commit to his girlfriend (herself a bitch who blames him for impregnating her when as he puts it “It takes two to Tango.”) , refuses to save a cat he at first saved, doesn’t keep his seaman’s papers in a a pace where no one could lose them…(I had seaman’s papers -Seaman First Class Wiper) and you never lost them) is a mean drunk.

He has a little talent like a lot of folksingers (or rock singers did) did. He finally just gives up. My point is there are a million guys who do this act in all the arts. They play at it and don’t write anything, sing anything, or ever commit totally to anyone. But why make a movie about them. All this movie showed me was is that this type person is just as dull and a drag in a movie as he is in real life.

I’ve known so many guys like this and some women too, but mainly guys who say I’m working on my novel I’m writing some new songs. We never hear the songs we never see the script…I avoid folks like this because they are a drag on my own psyche. i work my ass off, and the people I respect do the same thing. I don’t need to see a story celebrating people who try to skate by. I don’t wanna be around them in real life. I def don’t want to pay money to see them.

Thanks for putting this so well, Bob. Talk to you soon.

EDITED TO ADD: Well, well, look at this. Ken Levine hated this exercise in defeatist morbidity too!

Author: LB

A legendary figure in the television writing and production world with a career going back to the late ’60s, Larry Brody has written and produced hundreds of hours of American and worldwide television and is a consultant to production companies and networks in the U.S. and abroad . Shows written or produced by Brody have won several awards including - yes, it's true - Emmys, Writers Guild Awards, and the Humanitas Award. View all posts by LB