This is a continuation of the dark sense of humour that the Coen Brothers have thrived on...

Rating: 9/10 (12 July 2014)

I have to confess that I don't know as much of the work of the Coen Brothers as I'd like to. I've seen "No Country for Old Men", "True Grit" and "O Brother, Where Are Thou", all of which I adored, and "The Ladykillers", which really isn't as bad as people said it was. Their dark sense of humour and ability to capture beautiful scenes is what sets them apart from the crowd as directors. Naturally, "Inside Llewyn Davis" is no different, with brilliant black comedy and memorable cinematography, except this time, just like "O Brother", we have the pleasure of music as well.
The title character, played by Oscar Isaac, is a folk singer living in Greenwich Village in 1961, around the same time as Bob Dylan. Nothing goes right in his life, with his singing partner's recent suicide and his failing solo album both adding to his depression. He is homeless as well, but despite so many bad things he doesn't give up, and constantly continues to try and make it. This is not always helped by the people around him, including his friend Jean (Carey Mulligan) who tells him that she's pregnant and it might be his, and the always odious Roland Turner (John Goodman). The Coens write their characters extremely well, and they all have believable relationships with each other. They can give us a first impression with so few words too, which makes the characters even stronger. Their writing is as strong as always, with their eye for dark comedy coming through constantly. There are so many devastating scenes which you can't help but laugh at, or throw away lines that make you chuckle despite their grave nature. Goodman's line, "George Washington Bridge? You throw yourself off the Brooklyn Bridge, traditionally. George Washington Bridge? Who does that?" is mere genius.
Three things, apart from the plot, make this film such a joy to watch. Firstly, the acting is brilliant. Isaac's performance is bold and intimate, making us long for him to succeed so much. Among the supporting characters, Goodman, Mulligan, surprisingly Justin Timberlake and F. Murray Abraham all leave their mark with brilliant, funny or devastating scenes. And the cat that Llewyn is charged with looking after for so long is also great. The cinematography is great too, with the film being shot with a bleak, saturated lens. It feels dark and appropriate for the setting, but doesn't become too noticeable so as to be annoying. And finally the music is brilliant. All of the songs are memorable and well sung, with "The Death of Queen Jane" being my particular favourite, mainly because Isaac sings it so well. They don't feel pointless in the film, but there are times where you can just sit back and enjoy them.
"Inside Llewyn Davis" won't please everyone, because there are people who simply just don't 'get' the Coen Brothers' sense of humour. But for those that do, it's incredibly rewarding, and undoubtedly one of their best works yet. It was utterly robbed of a Best Picture nomination in February, and I cannot understand for the life of me why.