Inside Llewyn Davis Finds the Coen Brothers in Sublime Form

Rating: Null/10 (16 January 2014)

Winner of the Grand Prix at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, Inside Llewyn Davis finds the Coen brothers in sublime form & puts on screen an aimless journey of a messed up individual navigating through the New York's folk music scene of the early 1960s. The film covers just one week in the life of Llewyn Davis where we see him trying to deal with the increasing pile of obstacles he faces on a daily basis, most of which are of his own making. In short, Inside Llewyn Davis is simply an observation of a reckless individual who refuses to get his life together.
In spite of having no definite plot, the Coen brothers somehow manage to make the film work through their remarkable use of dry humour & unconventional narration. The film makes great use of Coens' trademarks, the production design is impressive, cinematography is this film's most striking aspect, editing could've trimmed away some more scenes & the soundtrack introduces some wonderful folk additions performed by the cast themselves.
As for the performances, Oscar Isaac delivers a breakthrough performance as Llewyn Davis & it's his brilliant performance only which makes it possible for us to sympathize with the quite unlikable character he plays in this film. Other supporting performances are also good but present in short doses featuring Carey Mulligan as Jean, Justin Timberlake as Jim, John Goodman as Roland Turner; a jazz musician & Garrett Hedlund as Johnny Five. Also making a prominent mark is an orange tabby cat which is a symbolic character in the film.
If you're into folk music, then you might find something to like about this film. If you're a fan of the Coen brothers, then you will find something to like about this film. On an overall scale, Inside Llewyn Davis is a tragically funny cinema that explores the bleak disappointments that so many people around the world face at some point of their careers and tries to expose a deeply unsettling truth; It's that even the most talented individuals don't always end up being the successful ones. Multiple viewings advised.
Full review at: cinemaclown.wordpress.com