It seems to me...

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I agree that it's not as black and white as he's a good person or he's a total a-hole. Yes, he gets in his own way at times, and yes he's a little apathetic and moody, but we all are at some point. I think they created a fairly realistic person in terms of the layers in that we're all shades of good and bad and in between.

I think he had a right to be frustrated and a little angry with the world, we all have a right to our emotions most of the time, barring if it severely harms other people. He was a combination of just missing everything and stubbornness and it made him go in circles. And I agree, he was depressed. All you need to look at is one of his last lines to Jean, "I'm tired, I'm so f_cking tired. I thought I needed a good nights sleep, but it's something more than that." As someone who suffers depression themselves, I recognized this in Llewyn too. I very much see man who is going through mental stresses and is hitting a brick wall wherever he goes while trying to cope with that.

And, of course, Mike's suicide. How could that not affect someone? Everyone else was venting about him and to Llewyn and yet they never stopped to think what he might be going through. Although, we do only see a week in his life, so maybe this stuff happened before or after for him (depending how you see the lineation of the film), but all we have to go on is this so that's all I can surmise. Anyways, I don't think he was just some big jerk walking around asking for hand outs or something and I'd hope people would give this a second chance and try to read a little more into it all, it has a lot to give.

Good points except i actually dont think he's clinically depressed. I think he has a very GOOD attitude considering the circumstances.

I agree and feel the same about Jean. The only protest he makes with her is to say it takes two to tango. I feel for this guy.

Agree. This is but a week (a bad one) in his life ..in winter no less. I don't think he's depressed either. Mourning, struggling, dealing with all kinds of *beep* and annoying people, definitely, but he remains true to himself and never sells out.

I agree, the complexity of the character allowed me to empathize with him. I would have to agree that I think he's depressed too. One of the symptoms of depression is losing the ability to get enjoyment out of things in life and I felt very much that Llewyn was in this perpetual motion of just trying to move forward but never really getting anywhere..

Jean was a mean spirited witch! Lol. Granted, we never get to see what he did to make her reach this point of aggression towards him.. But I kept feeling like "damn, he doesn't deserve that much wrath!" I felt like maybe if we had seen what set her off into being this abrasive and prickly character maybe I could have sympathized with her more.