Coen Brothers Will Be Remembered for Long Time.

Rating: 10/10 (23 January 2014)

The Coen Brothers are stalwarts of the film industry. Since their first movie, Blood Simple., was released in 1984, the directing duo has rarely settled for anything but greatness. Most recently, the Coens wrote and directed Inside Llewyn Davis – a film about a week in the life of a struggling singer trying to create a name for himself in the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961. Like many Coen collaborations, the film left some people nonplussed. Where was the resolution? It is a factor that some viewers – unenlightened ones, if I pretentiously do say so myself – find infuriating. Many of these films have similar threads running through them. Often, the familial filmmakers make noirs, a genre essentially extinct, save for mediocre attempts to revive it such as The Good German. The likes of Double Indemnity do not exist – at a high level, at least – in the modern era, except when the Coens decide it's time. Their works are paradoxical. At times, the gist will be clear: there is a God, or some higher being doling out justice. However, just as the viewer deems this to be true, Joel and Ethan throw some amalgam of existentialism and doubt into the mix. Wait, this isn't what I thought it was going to be, is it? This leaves the viewer to decipher what the meaning really is, if there is one. Another one of their trademarks is to include things that add absolutely nothing to the crux of the film. Don't read into the films too much, ya hear?
In Inside Llewyn Davis, the Coens reverted to what made O Brother such a success. Music and movies are the core of popular culture. In 2011, the two industries accounted for $17.5 billion. As a result, many musicals/ movies with music-themes do extremely well. Most recently, one should recall Disney's Frozen. However, there are those films that wade underneath the mainstream. Llewyn Davis is one of those films.
While Llewyn Davis was never as hyped as The Wolf of Wall Street or American Hustle, I believed it would garner some acclaim. I mean, it's the Coen brothers. Celebrated directors in their own right. True enough, many top critics have given the film solid marks. However, hoi polloi has not embraced the movie as warmly. Additionally, and unsurprisingly, the Academy failed to recognize the greatness of this folk tale about a folk singer.
Inside Llewyn Davis was nominated for two Oscars. Best Cinematography (Roger Deakins) and Best Sound Mixing. Exhilarating, right!? I take back the sarcasm for Deakins' sake. The man is responsible for some of the most beautiful displays of cinema in the past twenty years. The Shawshank Redemption, Fargo, No Country for Old Men, and Skyfall are a few examples. He's also worked on every Coen brothers' film since Barton Fink (1991). But, Sound Mixing? C'mon! Oscar Isaac deserved a nod for his soulful, back-breaking performance, Justin Timberlake and other writers for this little number, and the Coens proved their Oscar- worthy directing in the very first scene. The film opens with Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) on a stage. Not a large one. Maybe, maybe 75 people watch and listen as Llewyn plucks his guitar and intones the lyrics "Hang me, oh hang me. I'll be dead and gone. Wouldn't mind the hangin' but the layin' in the grave's so long, poor boy." The entranced crowd slowly taps their feet, ashing their cigarettes on down beats, taking for granted the talent a paper plane's flight away. Davis continues his incantation while the mastery of the Coens ensues — I wouldn't be surprised if the seven other people in the theater thought we were watching the performance live. Seamlessly, the Coens transition from perspective to perspective, placing the viewer at the heart of the performance. A waitress walks by, blocks the camera as she passes, and moviegoers shift their heads to the left – as if it would actually change their view. First impressions may not be everything, but they count for a lot. The first scene left me enchanted.
The film would have failed without a talented actor at the helm. Ethan and Joel made no mistake in picking Oscar Isaac. He was able to embody the tortured artist, desperately wanting to be successful in playing his music while shooting himself in the foot the whole way. The film focuses on one tumultuous week in Llewyn's life. He lives in the moment, couch-to-couch, playing his guitar where he can. He has a couple friends, though he's not a great friend. He's prone to drink, lose his temper, and knock-up girls. His life is that of a rolling stone.
The Coen brothers have done much to advance the scope of cinema. Inside Llewyn Davis is no different. While it is under-appreciated now, I believe the picture will stand the test of time. Go see it. Thanks, Joel and Ethan.