The Coens return to form with tale of struggling musician in tribute to 60s New York folk scene

Rating: 7/10 (30 March 2014)

The Coens have always defied easy categorisation. From slacker, The Dude, in their unorthodox film noir homage, The Big Lebowski to Marge Gunderson, the pregnant small town policewoman in Fargo, their protagonists aren't normally shaped in the archetypal hero mould. The same is true of Inside Llewyn Davis, the chronicle of a few days in the life of the eponymous struggling folk singer (Oscar Isaac). Although Lleywn's life is perhaps more straightforward than the aforementioned characters who find themselves embroiled in kidnapping and murder plots, he nevertheless shares the predicament of being out of his depth in extraordinary surroundings. Indeed, his situation could be said to reflect that of Larry Gopnik in 2009's A Serious Man who struggles to adapt to dramatic changes in his everyday life.
On this occasion we find ourselves in the rising folk scene of 60s Greenwich Village, New York. Lleywn Davis is giving a heartfelt, soulful performance at the Gaslight Café in front of a small intimate crowd who reward him with warm if not necessarily rapturous applause. Five minutes later he has been assaulted in the alleyway outside the café by a complete stranger posing as a friend. It's the type of irreverent scene reminiscent of many of the Coens' characters and indicative of the type of life our titular hero leads. Moving from place to place, harbouring the much sought after dream that his published record will be a success, his existence is a nomadic one. To think that this is an idealised, over sentimental portrait would be a mistake though. From shamelessly taking advantage of the slightest acquaintance to secure a bed for the night, deprecating other aspiring folk artists like himself and sleeping with one of his best friends' (Justin Timberlake) girlfriend (Carey Mulligan) Llewyn is far from likable. We root for him nonetheless though as his relentless pursuit of his dream takes him from the dingy studio apartments and record studios of New York to the freezing colds of Chicago and the promise of a nightclub gig...all without a winter coat.
Inside Llewyn Davis is not one of the Coens' best (though thankfully better than True Grit) but it remains a solid portrayal of the almost men that history tends to forget as well as a poignant tribute to the folk scene. With unedited, full length songs and numerous shots of languidly smoking audience members settled behind rickety tables and coffee cups, we are immersed in immaculate period detail from beginning to end. Oscar Isaac is powerfully understated as Llewyn, abrasive and facetious but also sad and frustrated at his continuing failures. In one particularly moving scene he almost breaks down when the mother of his dead partner – who committed suicide – begins singing her son's lyrics while Llewyn is performing. Out of a supporting cast that includes John Goodman as a cantankerous travelling buddy and Justin Timberlake as a fellow Greenwich musician, Carey Mulligan stands out as fiery and unrecognisable Jean who shares some of the best exchanges with Llewyn. This is Llewyn's film however and like the other characters her sporadic and fleeting appearances emphasise his grounding in no particular place. Uncompromising in their portrayal of the talented individual who just doesn't have enough for true success Inside Llewyn Davis marks a return to form for the Coens. In a slightly gratuitous, full-on scene a figure looking and sounding remarkably like Dylan (whose first gig was at the Gaslight) is beginning a performance just as Davis exits the venue. It is a scene which defines both the film and the era as this celebration of the almost man comes to an end but not before we get a brief glimpse, like Llewyn Davis, of a period in music to come that he will not be a part of.
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