A rather moody turn for the Coensis a folk music spiritual sequel to "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"

Rating: 10/10 (12 August 2019)

Joel Coen remarked regarding the film that it "doesn't really have a plot. That concerned us at one point; that's why we threw the cat in." The Coens are notoriously tight lipped about their films, but this offhand remark is a pretty insightful into the type of film they intended to make with "Inside Llewyn Davis." Telling the story of struggling 1960s folk singer Llewyn Davis, the film ends up an ode to capturing a specific time and place, as well as a celebration of the 60s folk music scene. Oscar Isaac ("Ex Machina" and Poe Dameron in the latest Star Wars trilogy) plays the intense Llewyn and spends the film in a wintery NYC couch surfing, trying to reach a wider audience with his music, and wanting to land a record deal or even a gig. The first couch he lands on he ends up losing the owner's cat and that becomes the main narrative thread of the film, such as it is, but the film is really about an artist so committed and uncompromising in his vision that he ends up unable to find success or an audience. Ironically, this is a trap the idiosyncratic Coen Brothers have manage to avoid, finding success in their modestly budgeted films, which has given them a level of autonomy that's allowed them to achieve their vision. There was criticism of "Inside Llewyn Davis" by actual folk singers of this era that it wasn't an accurate depiction and that it was NOT a happy tight knit community and was more made up of competition and backbiting. Still, it's a gorgeous representation of a time and place, even if it's a bit of a fairy tale. This is the crisp wintery New York City I remember seeing in actual NYC films during this actual period, like "A Thousand Clowns" or "The Pawnbroker." The film is gorgeously photographed by Bruno Delbonnel, known for working with the likes of Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Tim Burton, and with Peter Bogdanovich on his Jazz Age tale, "The Cat's Meow" (the Coens' regular cinematographer, Roger Deakins, was unavailable shooting "Skyfall"). The production design detail is dynamite! Watching the film I just wanting step onto the screen and be a part of this 1960s NYC, even if it's a fairy tale version that never existed (sort of how I also want to step onto California shore of a Beach Party movie). "Inside Llewyn Davis" is fascinating in how it holds the viewer's attention despite the lack of a strong narrative. This is in large part thanks to the talents of Oscar Isaac as Davis, making this flawed and at times unlikable character compelling to watch for for nearly two hours, as well as the Coen's deft touch for creating a stylized atmosphere, colorful characters, and filling the film with memorable songs and soundscapes (another element they are often not given enough credit for), in what is probably their best use of music since "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Carey Mulligan and Justin Timberlake also appear in the film as successful folk singers Jim & Jean, as does Adam Driver in a funny bit part, and Coen Brothers regular John Goodman makes a memorable appearance as an obnoxious jazz musician. Overall, "Inside Llewyn Davis" has more heart than most Coen Brothers' films and I would argue stands amongst their finest. FUN FACT! The singing voice of Mike, Llewyn's deceased music partner, is Marcus Mumford from the band Mumford & Sons, and actress Carey Mulligan's husband.