Given my previous experiences with films by Joel and Ethan Coen (True Grit, The Big Lebowski) each new film usually falls within a specific category. On one hand you are given movies where the protagonist of the film is put the extreme amounts of adversity, usually resulting in a more gloomy film (A Serious Man). On the other, twisted comedies about unusual situations with likeable man characters (O Brother Where Art Thou, The Big Lebowski). While there are Coen Brother films I have yet to see that garner much praise, the one's I have seen are on either side of the spectrum. Then you are given a film like Inside Llewyn Davis, which teeters amongst both spectrums resulting in an well crafted enjoyable film, that you can't always pinpoint why you feel this way.
Inside Llewyn Davis lacks much of a plot, while sticking to more of a "day in the life of" story. This story follows a folk singer in 1961 named Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac), who isn't typically a guy to root for. He is a self absorbed asshole, who believe that he is the undeniable talent in folk music that isn't getting the recognition he deserves. He travels from couch to couch between the only few people that he can consider a friend. These "friends" consist of a young couple (Justin Timberlake and Carey Mulligan) who the latter has a rocky past with our protagonist. The other is an older couple who are enamored with Llewyn's smooth folk songs and voice. Unfortunately for Llewyn, his attitude towards people and his career has affected the way he is perceived. While once part of a popular duo act, his solo career has left much to desire. Leaving Llewyn as a dead beat bitter has been who is forced into a slew of adversity.
As the story plays out, you never really know what to think. Like some other great films, you just have to trust the story knows where it is going. With the Coen Brothers at the helm, the film comes together in time to make it worth seeing. It took me a while to collect my thoughts about the film and understand what everything means. Early in the film, Llewyn is forced to have a feline company accompany him throughout his journey. Being used as a adorable plot device, the feline to me was just an extension of Llewyn himself. What plays out in Llewyn's life, happens in various ways to his feline friend. While Llewyn never knows the cat's name, he himself struggles with his own identity. The constant struggle for Llewyn to have his name known and the his struggle to remember the cats name are one in the same. There is also some really clever dialogue to allude to this idea, and one interesting visual shot. The side characters are never given much to do because the story covers a small period of time. This gives talented people such as Carey Mulligan and Garrett Hedlund (Tron Legacy) little time to shine in their supportive roles. However, John Goodman gives a very funny and worthwhile performance that while limited will stick in your mind. The movie to me was clearly a coming out party for actor Oscar Isaac who shows impressive range both vocally and as an actor on screen. I expect his career to widen very soon because his presence on screen. He makes Llewyn Davis one of the most likeable assholes to hit the screen this year. His music talents make the musical scenes very powerful, and give the film some much needed heft and heart. The best of his musical numbers is a group song called Please Mr. Kennedy, which also feature pop star turned solid actor Justin Timberlake. Which is sure to get a best original song nomination this upcoming week.
The film had its slow moments, and despite John Goodman's fun character the film almost stops moving at his portion of the film. Luckily, a couple music numbers pick up the pace at the right time before to much damage is done. There comedic moments were also hit and miss for me, in particular attempts at witty humor. In the end my lack of knowledge of folk music or indifference to music in general may weaken my understanding of the film as a whole. In particular the final moments of the film and how Llewyn's style of music changes making him obsolete yet a better man. As far as the thematic elements, I felt my understanding of the film was rather strong. The story about a scum of a man realizing his destiny and getting a harsh bite of reality sat well with me, making the film well worth the price of admission despite the films shortcomings.
Verdict 4 out of 5
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