Inside Llewyn Davis embodies immense soul and spirit

Rating: 7/10 (13 January 2014)

I wasn't sure what to expect prior to watching Inside Llewyn Davis, but I was definitely impressed afterwards. Inside Llewyn Davis is one of those films with many grey areas and a lot of depth and sincerity to it. Llewyn Davis's character was extremely soulful and through his music he constantly conveyed a variety of different emotions ranging from sorrow, hope, defeat and compassion. One thing I found very striking in this film was its cyclical nature. The movie began and ended with extremely similar scenes with very minute differences in each. This shows us the difficulties that he had to face over and over as a struggling musician during the 1960s. This cinematic element reminded me of the film "Before the Rain" that began and ended the same way, where the characters were unable to escape their circumstances. Similarly, Llewyn Davis cannot escape the harshness of the current world he lives in where it is extremely difficult for a struggling musician to survive. It leaves you with a sense of ambiguity but also shows more about the character of Llewyn Davis and how true he is to his music. Unlike other characters in his film, he does not succumb to music or ways that are not a representative of his soul and who he is. Llewyn Davis expresses various emotions through his music regarding some of his life events such as his partners suicide and the birth of a child he had no idea about. This is what makes his character and his music heart wrenching and soulful. I think this film is more about Llewyn Davis rather than his life events. Overall my expectations for this film had been surpassed and I am extremely glad I went to watch it. It was thoughtful, filled with emotion and beautifully executed.