A Song for the Asking

Rating: 10/10 (11 January 2014)

This film is highly recommended.
Written, directed, and edited by the Brothers Coen, Inside Llewyn Davis is an oddball comedy about a self-centered but talented folk singer in the 1960's Greenwich Village. The film lingers over the absurdities of life as its abrasive and unlikable anti-hero tries to find any trace of success in the dark smoke-filled nightclubs that made the New York Village scene such a viable place back then. The film contains many quiet and poetic moments, filled with insightful observations about its characters and that more innocent era.
Rumor has it that an artist must suffer for his art. Inside Llewyn Davis embellishes that myth as we moviegoers spend one fateful week with this struggling songwriter and his chance encounters with various people in the music biz. It is Llewyn's winter of discontent. He's out of money and out of patience. Fame continues to elude him but not life's hardships. His musical partner has committed suicide. Llewyn's first solo album is doing poorly in sales and he just may have impregnated his best friend's wife. Llewyn would rather commit to a short song on center stage than care for anybody or anything. Dealing with life's harsh realities are too taxing, even as he is forced to become an unofficial guardian of sorts for a friend's cat, Ulysses. Soon both man and cat are off on their individual odyssey for the meaning of life, but only one will find it.
In their nuanced film, Joel and Ethan Coen have added another assortment of quirky characters to their on-going array of bizarre behavior, although this time the central character is more disagreeable than needed. Oscar Isaac plays Llewyn and he gives a solid performance, capturing the talent and the bad luck that befalls his character with a sneer and a sad bitter-more-than-sweet song for the asking. With a terrific film score assembled by T. Bone Burnett and showcasing many of the folk tunes from that era (500 Miles, Fare Thee Well, The Last Thing on My Mind), the film is high on atmosphere and strong on character development. Plot-wise, there's not much to tell, except that the film shows a series of missed opportunities and misadventures for Llewyn, most of which are lessons not learned. Inside Llewyn Davis is more character study and a nostalgic reminder of another time long gone than the traditional action-driven entertainment one would suspect from these filmmakers.
Contributing to the film's richness are fine supporting performances by Carey Mulligan and Justin Timberlake as Jean and Jim, a more popular husband and wife folk duo, Stark Sands as Troy, an up-and coming idealistic song-smith, and a drug-addled John Goodman as Roland Turner, a jazz musician. ￼ This is one of the year's best crafted film. The period details are brilliantly evoked by the moody photography of Bruno Delbonnel, the purposely dated costumes of Mary Zophres, and the essential spot-on production design by Jess Gonchor. There is an genuine authenticity to the film due to their stellar contributions which convincingly portray the American folk scene of 1961.
The title character of Inside Llewyn Davis is purposely remote and distant. It's hard getting inside this tortured soul, as he never connects with anyone. Joel and Ethan Coen have created a deeply captivating film that keeps the moviegoer on the outside looking in, observing the characters and appreciating their conversations. We become voyeurs lost in the milieu of the sixties folk scene, always questioning Llewyn's state of mind, well aware that the times are a- changin' around him. Inside Llewyn Davis is wonderful escapist fare and one of the best films of the year. GRADE: A-
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