A more stripped down Coen Brothers which slowly grows on you.

Rating: 9/10 (10 February 2014)

Quirky, original soundtracks and struggling, under achieving characters seem to be somewhat of a forte with the Coen brothers. Here they have succeeded in melding these aspects together again like they did in films like 'A Serious Man', but with more effective results. The opening performance by Oscar Isaac as Llewyn Davis playing 'Hang Me Oh Hang Me' really sets the tone for the film and the brilliant performance. Here is a man who seems to understand and relate to a song that is essentially about suffering and melancholia. The performance is very honest and he seems to be a man of integrity. As the film goes on, we get to observe Llewyn's behaviour and how he relates to people. We also get some references to his past which I think is critical to attempt why he is the way he is.
We see Llewyn Davis crashing on any available couch his friends have to offer with his guitar in tow. He seems most of the time to be ungrateful to the people around him who try to help and he has gotten his friends wife Jean (Carey Mulligan) pregnant. The scenes between them often end up with Jean berating and insulting Llewyn and frequently calling him either an a**hole or a loser. It is safe to assume that his dire situation is of his own choosing as he does refuse help from his friend. He tells his agent he does not have a winter coat. When offered a coat he rudely declines. In a key scene, he is asked by his friend to perform a song during a social gathering. When the friend starts to harmonise with Llewyn, he gets angry and insults her. This opens a window to his tragic past when he had a collaborator who committed suicide. This, and probably many other things have probably shaped the way he is in this film. He seems cynical because he sees the world as a place were it is difficult to make great art and to do something more than just 'exist' in the conventional sense. He is very stubborn about his music, as to him, it is an honest picture of himself. A vicious circle is formed, as without these experiences or world views, his music would not be as honest and true.
The cinematography by Bruno Delbonnel is excellent and integral to the story. The whole film is set in winter, were the hues are mainly cold and drab, you almost feel cold yourself watching it. You see the life get sucked out of Llewyn as he walks the streets, making a concerted effort to get his music out there, leading to a scene where he tells Jean he is tired. It is very subtle, but still left me with the feeling that he doesn't mean just physically, but emotionally as well. The cinematography really brings out the cold world he is in, and to me, how he sees the world. The film does hint at the fact the world he has found himself in is a world he has chosen for himself. He seems very beaten up by life and deep down has low self esteem that maybe he thinks this is all he deserves. Has he fallen victim to a law of attraction which reflects his negative world view or does he just have awful luck? He seems to not have much luck with his music, even though he clearly has talent. He is always in the wrong place at the wrong time and is told that there is no money in his music.
Llewyn Davis is most of the time an unlikeable character, but yet there is a lot of depth to him which made me want to understand him. I felt his character was rightly portrayed empathetically as I did feel sorry for him sometimes. I felt there was some caring attributes in his personality which is where the cat comes in. I feel the cat represents his possibility of success, his drive to succeed and good opportunities which he is presented with. Sometimes he is presented with these opportunities, but he turns them down. One scene which symbolises this is when he drives past a sign which points to a town were his past girlfriend and his child live, but chooses to drive on in treacherous, snowy conditions. We see the headlights illuminating only just in front of his car symbolising his life choices leading him to nowhere and at the same time, choosing a more treacherous, difficult path. I must admit, I did not wholly understand what the cat(s) symbolised or the conclusion of the film. There was definitely a dawning of a new era of folk music when we see snippet Bob Dylan's performance in the Gaslight near the end. This needs to be contrasted with the performance Llewyn witnesses and subsequently spoils with a barrage of drunken insults, a performance which is comparatively more conservative and old fashioned, something Llewyn wants to move away from. I have had the desire of wanting to watch it again to get a clearer picture of it, and to watch the musical performances again, which are all sublime, save for 'Please Mr Kennedy' which is hilarious. The ending also has a refreshing honesty about it. From what you may tell with my review, it may sound like a bleak film, but the signature Coen brothers humour is still present throughout. I think they are masters of mixing humour and sadness in a film.
People have had reservations about this film because of the lack of character arc, but I feel this is one of the best films in years by the Coens. It has a lot of character depth, some profound themes put forward more honestly and some great music. It is a love letter to the folk scene as well as an insightful and complex character study.
Check out my blog - www.projectionistreview.wordpress.com