Inside Llewyn Davis
Don't Go! Bleak, interesting, but needed more.
Chilly struggles of 60s singer.
Sadly Inside Llewyn Davis is not the working title of Honey I Shrunk The Kids IV, where Rick Moranis miniaturises himself to venture deep inside a Welshman and salvage his parenting skills (with hilarious results?). Rather, it is the latest film from the Coen Brothers - the men whose greatest hits are significant pieces of blockbusting indie film-making. Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, Burn After Reading and True Grit (amongst several others) are all rich, tasty and idiosyncratic character studies; laced with dark comedy and sticky situations. Inside Llewyn Davis clearly aims to fall into that category; distilling the Coen's signature blend of drama and bemusement into a bottle made of guitars and facial hair.
Set in the 1960s, the Llewyn Davis of the title is a struggling folk musician, floundering from couch to couch and disappointment to disappointment. We are given a 105 minute window into Llewyn's wretched day-to-day existence. As you might expect, there are plenty of additional grains from Llewyn's past that season the tale, but the meat of the story is fairly straightforward - will he or won't he drag himself out of his circle of tragedy and into the personal and professional success?
Set in the 1960s, the Llewyn Davis of the title is a struggling folk musician, floundering from couch to couch and disappointment to disappointment. We are given a 105 minute window into Llewyn's wretched day-to-day existence. As you might expect, there are plenty of additional grains from Llewyn's past that season the tale, but the meat of the story is fairly straightforward - will he or won't he drag himself out of his circle of tragedy and into the personal and professional success?
Unfortunately, that meat is not quite as flavourful as the scent and presentation promised to offer. Llewyn the character - ably played by Oscar Isaac (Drive) - is an tin plated failure, with few, if any particularly evident redeeming qualities. He is just a bit flat and dull and...inconsequential. So it is difficult to be enthusiastic about whether he will ever achieve anything or not. This is compounded by the film not being particularly funny. Usually, the spark of encouragement for a Coen audience to like a naturally un-likeable character comes from a merciful dose of humour - a sharp witted comment or some fantastically black irony. I waited for this moment but it never truly came; and laughs around me in the audience were few, and very far between. Particularly because of the overall bleakness of the film - which is typical of CoBro movies - some more frequent and stirring colour from the character would have been welcome. Overall, it feels like too much reliance is placed on an appreciation for the sentimentality of the era in which it is set...but beards and cable knit jumpers are all the rage these days, so maybe we're all just over it.
Nonetheless, there are several redeeming elements to the film. The entire thing is bathed in a soft and cold light that makes everything look moody and dreamy, like a masterful watercolour, painted only in shades of pale blue and chalky white. If anything encourages even fleeting feelings of sentimentality, that is it. Coen favourite, John Goodman, plays a rotund, disdainful and plenty colourful jazz musician who lifts the film for a least a few bars; and Carey Mulligan is briefly but aggressively engaging as Llewyn's on-off former lover. But perhaps most redemptive are the moments of music within the film. When Llewyn sings, we finally do get Inside Llewyn Davis, as lyrics licked with pain and depth begin to waft melodically and intriguingly from the screen. But sadly they don't quite make up for the moments we are forced to wait outside in the bleakness; breathing shivering vapour onto a pretty but cold window and hoping to eventually be allowed in. Although it won the Grand Prix at Cannes, its #oscarnoms for Best Cinematography and Best Sound Mixing are probably a more accurate reflection of where the film excels.
So don't go, but keep an eye out for this on Channel 4 in about nine months time. It's a fine flick, but just not good enough to steal the attention of your mind and eyes from the many other excellent films doing the rounds at the moment.
Oh and incidentally, also don't get too excited about Justin Timberlake being in it. He's on screen for about five minutes, maybe eight. He's fine; he has a beard; he sings some. I wouldn't worry about it.
So don't go, but keep an eye out for this on Channel 4 in about nine months time. It's a fine flick, but just not good enough to steal the attention of your mind and eyes from the many other excellent films doing the rounds at the moment.
Oh and incidentally, also don't get too excited about Justin Timberlake being in it. He's on screen for about five minutes, maybe eight. He's fine; he has a beard; he sings some. I wouldn't worry about it.
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