In a few words Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) is a Folk singer who seems to be doing everything wrong. The story takes place in the atmosphere of the Folk clubs of the 60's in New York. Llewyn plays occasionally in one or the other, but he has nothing more than his guitar, so he has to sleep on the couch of some friends one day and some other friend's couch the next night, practically living on charity. Here we think "Ok, this movie is going to deal with his struggle to succeed, make an album..." and we think we're about to see an inspiring and hopeful plot about the human will. Let's move forward.

The film goes on and we realize that Llewyn did record an album before (with poor sales) and that he had even recorded another previously with his initial partner (Llewyn is now a soloist) that wasn't a great success either. His agent doesn't pay him royalties because he says they don't exist; the cat of some friends flees by his fault and when he returns it they say to him that's not the same animal (it's not even of the same sex); A friend's girlfriend confesses that she's pregnant and doesn't know if the child is from her boyfriend or from Llewyn, which would be a catastrophe for her because she despises him: she believes he's a failure, a loser, a human garbage. So they agree to an abortion (Llewyn already knows a doctor for the job because he used his services a couple of years ago). Then we thought "Wow, he has to overcome many obstacles" but we're confident he can make it.

When they call him to participate in the recording of a single by someone else, he decides to cash a good check and give up the royalties of the song (which will then have some success) but we believe that's the beginning of his ascension, especially because he decides to go to Chicago to meet with a successful music producer. In the best style of Kerouac, he arrives in Chicago and after waiting for the producer, he plays a song and listens to the verdict: he's not good. The producer's advice: get a partner. A good idea, except that Llewyn's former partner committed suicide long ago, by jumping off a bridge.

When he returns to New York, he decides to put aside the music and work on a boat (he was previously in the navy), he pays the late quotas back to the union to be able to enroll, but he doesn't have his license or money to renew it, so he's left without money and without work (again). Here we think that it's a sign of life, that fate didn't let him give up Folk music because it's what he has to do and he will make it. So, although there's little left for the end of the film, we don't lose hope.

The friend who despises him gets him the opportunity to play again at the Gaslight Cafe (an iconic club in the history of Folk) and we see him play with force a couple of melancholy themes. "He's born for this" we think. But Llewyn leaves the club: someone waits for him in the alley to collect a pending account. While we watch him go out, a young man with curly hair, guitar in hand and the harmonica near the lips, goes up on stage to play "Farewell". It's Bob Dylan.

In the alley Llewyn receives a beating, while through the walls we hear the voice of Dylan. And this moment is what defines the whole film: the opposition between Dylan, the successful god of Folk whose career is just beginning; and Llewyn, a common man who will never make it, who will not succeed in a career that never took off. Bob Dylan is the rising star that Llewyn will never be. The beating he received from a man whose face we don't see, is the symbol for life that insists "do not get up, you can not win".

The antagonism between Dylan and Llewyn is accentuated by two facts. The first is that Llewyn loses Bob's interpretation. The Folk who he loves so much has just found a worthy representative and Llewyn doesn't see him. The second is that when seeing his victimizer go away in a taxi, Llewyn staggers and falls seated on the floor pronouncing the last line of the script: "Au revoir". It's not goodbye to the taxi. It's goodbye to dreams, to fight, to Folk. It's the renunciation of everything he wanted to do.

When the film ends, we are surprised by a smile of disbelief. How is it possible that we are smiling and we've enjoyed a life as miserable as that of poor Llewyn? (and believe me I saved many details) And there's the genius of the Coen brothers (directors from "Fargo" and "The Big Lebowski"): the balance with all this drama, a black humor present in the dialogue, in the performances (such as the John Goodman's), in the absurdly depressing lyrics of Llewyn's songs, in the funny fact that a guy can be so, so unlucky!

Do you like dramas? Do you like Folk music? Did you like "The Big Lebowski"? Do you enjoy black comedy movies? If you answer negatively to all the previous questions, then don't bother. But if, on the other hand, your answer is affirmative, to at least two of them, then this movie is for you.

For the tragicomic treatment of the story, a tailor made main role to what the film needed, an impeccable photograph, an excellent mixture of genres (drama, comedy, musical, road movie) and the genius of the Coen brothers to reconcile all these resources, I give 7.5 / 10 to the ballad of a common man on my personal scale.