Fascinating period, fascinating character

Rating: 10/10 (6 April 2014)

Llewelyn Davis is a compelling character around the time of the folk revolution in New York. He was very talented but also a bit of an abrasive character. He is a conflicted character and so he isn't able to reach his potential as a performer. He is patronizing, elitist, and arrogant which rubs many people the wrong way - most notably when he attends a dinner party and hilariously insults the overly earnest music one of the hosts is performing. However, he's a musician, he is very talented and so bookers must contend with him. This makes him a very compelling character because he acts in ways that are counterproductive to his career or his personal life.
The scene in Greenwich Village is recreated with great detail, sometimes hilariously - most notably when a Peter, Paul, and Mary like group is kitted out in some truly horrible sweaters. The costuming and staging adds a great deal in creating the mood of the movie.
The most notable part of the movie, however, is the character of Llewelyn Davis, as created by the Coens and realized by Oscar Isaac. He is a charmer with the ladies but much too honest and can't hold his tongue. He has a lot of opinions, most of which antagonize and set people off. While this internal conflict holds back his music career, it makes for great complexity which is the heart of an incredible movie.
There is some great work by Garrett Hedlund and John Goodman but Oscar Isaac is really fantastic. The creation of the script and the deepening of our understanding about the start of the "folkie" scene and how things are much more complicated than we're often led to believe, make this a great movie.