Holds Filmmaking to High Expectations.

Rating: Null/10 (10 January 2014)

I imagine the inspiration for Inside Llewyn Davis hit the Coens one night when they were letting folk music saturate their souls. Inside Llewyn Lewis is like a folk song acted out on screen. It may sound like a journey that isn't worth venturing on, but Joel and Ethan Coen have a nack for telling simplistic stories in an artful way. Though this film does not conquer relatively recent masterpieces such as No Country for Old Men or A Serious Man, Inside Llewyn Lewis is another bulletproof tale for the Coen brothers to add to their protracted resumes.
The title holds no hidden meaning, the audience shown the story from within Llewyn's perception. We are immersed in an unimaginative world through blue-tinted cinematography that highlights the faces of the characters as ghost pale. Incredibly beautiful and unique photography that feeds an underwater feel to the viewer, adding to the isolation and lack of direction Llewyn feels. Adding to that, Oscar Isaac portrays Llewyn, a performance that feels extremely personal to its audience. The frequent, tranquil folk songs create the rhythm of the picture, soothing the audience for approval, which it earns. The screenplay is an odyssey of searching for life direction, a story that would be truly gloomy if it were not for the Coens everlasting Fargo-esque, awkward humor. The comedy is sinfully funny and fits in between moments of drama. The Coens' screenplay explores the lead character's dark period wisely without abandoning their audience, only aided by the adept directing.
Carey Mulligan, who's performance shattered the screens with a strengthen arm in 2009's An Education, shows worse sides of her acting abilities as time moves her on. Here, she receives scenes of anger to bring to life, a task that obviously was asking too much of the actress by the Coen brothers. Mulligan actually detracts from the film. One knows it isn't a good sign when Justin Timberlake upstages an Academy Award nominee...with less screen time than her.
Inside Llewyn Davis is an easier sell to audiences than most of the Coens work, but illusion of the ending may send audiences scattering. The approach is performed well by the Coens and could actually be seen as quite smart, but it's a move that could confuse audiences not anticipating a bit of trickery. I have thought on the ending since seeing it, there are different interpretations audiences can embrace, I do not know which I side with at the moment.
The film follows emphasizes a cat as symbolism for the lead character, they build a strong comparison case. I think the Coens have proved to deserve a reserved spot on every critic's year-end top 10 list with their multiple films having a consistent quality. It seems the directing duo can do no wrong. They have expressed their range now, yet with all their films they retain an auteur trademark of an "earthy" atmosphere. A reliable film for those who appreciate the craft being held to high expectations.
Grade: A
Rating: 8.0