Inside Llewyn Davis Review

Rating: 9/10 (17 January 2014)

I was looking forward to Inside Llewyn Davis, but I can't really call myself a Coen Brothers fan having only seen a handful of their movies. After watching the trailers I was greatly intrigued by the visual style and story, and Inside Llewyn Davis not only gave me that but much more as well.
The movie is incredibly well written. I never know what would happen next and found myself incredibly invested in the characters. The movie is very gripping, which is a great feat considering we are just watching a week of a man's life and struggles. There is some amazing symbolism and hidden meanings, some of which I'm sure I will keep thinking about for days after watching.
The acting is phenomenal as well. Oscar Isaac is excellent in the title role, he carries the whole movie and does a brilliant job of doing so. There are a lot of supporting cast members as well, including Carey Mulligan and John Goodman who are both great. Justin Timberlake is in this movie as well, and he actually plays a different type of role to the usual college computer nerd he normally plays.
Of all the Coen brothers movies I've seen, Inside Llewyn Davis is by far the best directed. The cinematography is incredible and just as I was hoping for, has a very unique and beautiful visual style. Although the film is set in the sixties, it has a timeless feel to it so that it could fit into any decade. The pacing is impeccable, when the movie was over I was surprised at how quickly it seemed it had gone, I don't want it to end. I'm not normally a huge fan of the type of music that this movie showcases, however I thought that the soundtrack was excellent. Inside Llewyn Davis is a movie that I certainly plan on watching time and time again, and I strongly recommend that you watch it too.