Inside Llewyn Davis

As filmmakers, the Coen Brothers, Joel and Ethan, routinely make great looking films.  Inside Llewyn Davis is no exception to that rule.  They also usually make great films in general.  But this time, I think the miss the mark just a little.  This is not a bad movie by any stretch of the imagination.  It just meanders a little too much without much focus.  I know this was intentional, and this approach can work if the characters draw you in, which they did not with me.

The film could be considered somewhat of a companion piece to their 2000 effort, O Brother, Where Art Thou?  Both films center on a man's wandering journey through a certain point in American history, set around the music of that time.  In O Brother, the story was surrounded by the setting and the music of the Depression-era South.  Llewyn Davis is set in the American folk music scene of the early 1960s, right before Bob Dylan came about in the public eye.  If you'll recall, the soundtrack for O Brother became a lot more popular than the film that accompanied it.  I can easily see that happening again here.  I, for one, am not exactly a fan of this particular kind of music, so that might have also hindered my enjoyment somewhat.  If you are a fan, you will no doubt love the fact that the Coens saw it fit to include 10 or so songs, all played live by the cast members, and performed in their entirety. 

The film essentially follows a week in the life of a struggling folk singer named Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac), as he makes his way around Greenwich Village, struggling to get by day-to-day.  He doesn't have a place of his own, choosing instead to crash on the couches of different people that he knows.  Early in the film, he stays at the home of a college Professor friend who is away.  When he attempts to leave, his friend's cat shoots out the door as Llewyn is closing it.  Not seeing any other choice, he scoops the cat up in his arms, so he can look after it until his friend comes home.  The cat becomes his traveling companion for a short while, while also starting a running gag, where it will constantly escape, and Llewyn will have to make a mad dash to find it.  The different people who make up his life drift in and out of the screenplay, such as fellow singers Jean (Carey Mulligan), whom may or may not be carrying Llewyn's child, and Jim (Justin Timberlake).  He also embarks on a road trip to Chicago with a jazz musician who is not fond of the folk scene (John Goodman). 

Llewyn is constantly in hard times.  His career seems to be going nowhere.  He used to be part of a singing duo, but his partner has since died, and now his just-released solo album isn't exactly flying off the shelves.  When Jean (who is in a relationship with Jim) finds out that the baby she's carrying might be Llewyn's, she becomes upset and verbally abusive with him.  Even his sister gives him no respect whatsoever.  Despite some moments of humor thrown throughout the script, this is an extremely downbeat movie about a somewhat pathetic man who just can't seem to catch a break.  And yet, this is not a redemption story, or a rags to riches story.  There is no stroke of luck that turns the main character's life around, like you would normally find in a Hollywood take on this story.  And when it's all over, we kind of get the sense that this is only the beginning for this guy's hardships.

I admire what the Coens are trying to do with their story, but the one thing that held me back is the character of Llewyn himself.  I just did not find him all that interesting.  The performance by Isaac is fine and all, but I never found the character captivating enough.  I actually found myself more interested in the visuals.  From the snow-swept streets of Greenwich, to the recording studios and bars where the characters mainly perform, the film shows a real understanding for detail of the time the story is set in.  And even if I'm not generally a fan of the music, I can admire the fact that it has been performed beautifully by the cast.  There are some great individual moments throughout, but the never build to a complete whole like they should.  I just never got involved with Llewyn's struggle for stardom.  Maybe it's because the film does too good of a job of portraying why he's struggling in the first place, and that he belongs where he is.

Inside Llewyn Davis has been expertly made by master filmmakers and actors.  But, it just didn't hold a lot of weight with me.  I have a feeling this may simply be a case of me just not being the right audience for the material.  Others will obviously love it, especially those who have a fondness for the music of the time.  In the grand scheme of things, this just felt like somewhat of a minor effort from the Coens to me.

See related merchandise at Amazon.com!

0 comments