Inside Llewyn Davis

Rating: 10/10 (23 March 2014)

I have always appreciated the Cohen brothers even if I have not always enjoyed their films, I've often found them hard to sit through with the exception of 'The Big Lebowski' and 'No Country For Old Men'. When I first heard about Inside Llewyn Davis I was interested because I am a fan of the folk scene amongst other elements of the film as such as the time period and setting.
I sat in the cinema upon the films release with optimism but I was cautiously optimistic as I thought I would react to it in the same way I react to most of the Cohen brothers' films, masterfully created but hard to watch.
So what did I think of Inside Llewyn Davis? I loved it. Not only Is it my favourite film of 2013, but it is also now one of my all time favourite films. I saw it the day it came out, now, months later, I still cannot stop thinking about it. I've had the blu ray imported from the US because I can't wait for the May release here in the UK.
My favourite elements of the film are; the soundtrack, put together masterfully by producer 'T Bone', The acting, brilliantly carried by Oscar Isaac in one of his biggest roles yet with amazing supporting parts from Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake and John Goodman, the story, which I felt was beautifully simple whilst managing to be deeply harsh and real as it follows a week in the life of a failing folk musician in the 60s and finally the cinematography. The Cohen brothers had to use a cinematographer this time around as their usual was otherwise occupied with the latest James Bond flick, this both shows and delivers as we are greeted with the cold, blue, vintage-like tones that add to the bleak tale.
I honestly can't find any major flaws with the film, some criticisms that accompany the film are that it's extremely bland and uneventful with an underwhelming ending that ultimately goes nowhere, but I would disagree because the uneventful story is also a connotation for Llewyn Davis' life that appears to be inspired by folk singer 'Dave Von Ronk', I can't exactly explain the significance of the ending without ruining it and I feel like spoiling it even for those who don't mind having it spoilt will then loose something from the film that they need to discover for themselves to appreciate it. All I can say is that it is harsh yet grounded and actually quite sad. The film has a fairly short run time but I feel like it was the perfect length otherwise the story could have become repetitive or tedious. I think Inside Llewyn Davis was expertly constructed and it is the definition of art. I can't wait to revisit the film. I think it is an important film that all film buffs should watch. I can understand why some people may not get on with the film because they may find it too melancholy and tedious, but I feel it's a classic.