Review: Inside Llewyn Davis

Review: Inside Llewyn Davis

Directors: Joel and Ethan Coen

Cast: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Justin Timberlake

Running Time: 105 Minutes

The Coen brothers seem to delight in telling the tales of losers: take John Malkovich's befuddled character in Burn After Reading, or William H. Macy's dreadfully woeful Jerry in Fargo for just a couple of prime examples. Yet none of their protagonists have ever seemed so dismally lost or hopeless than Llewyn Davis, the sarcastic, couch-crashing, burdening yet musically sublime subject of the Coen brothers' latest cinematic offering.

Inside Llewyn Davis perhaps isn't the sort of movie you enjoy the first time you watch it. Our protagonist is a resentful and often hurtful individual who seems to subconsciously delight in burning every bridge he's ever built for himself, insulting those who offer him a helpful hand and resenting those who don't. Add to that the severe lack of character development or...well, plot, and this isn't exactly a story that has a light at the end of the narrative tunnel. Yet it's only when looked back upon and thought about that Inside Llewyn Davis becomes something of a storytelling master stroke - the sheer tragedy of Llewyn's inability to change his ways or swallow his pride becomes his story arc (alongside that of his quest to return a cat to its home), and his social ineptitude becomes a key asset to his frankly beautiful and heartbreaking song writing. 

It's in 1961 where we find Llewyn struggling to get his feet off the ground in New York. His solo record, the titular Inside Llewyn Davis, is failing to sell and his previous musical partner Mike has committed suicide. Despite having a regular gig at The Gaslight Cafe, Llewyn has no money and is constantly sleeping on the couches of "friends" - that is to say, anyone who doesn't hate him too much yet. Shamelessly taking money where he can get it with no thought for the future, Llewyn's predicaments are made even more troublesome with the news that his one-time lover and now barely tolerant friend Jean (an uncharacteristically furious Carey Mulligan) is pregnant - and the child may be his. 

There are various plot threads that spin-off in to the nether, such as Jean's boyfriend Jim (a quirky and enjoyable Justin Timberlake) recording a novelty song "Please Mr. Kennedy" with Llewyn, and a fruitless trip to Chicago aided not very helpfully by John Goodman's slimy and good-for-nothing jazz musician Roland Turner. Most of the story seems made to fill up the running time, such as the constant re-appearance of a lost cat, as well as the various supporting characters with bustling and unique personalities. Perhaps that's part of its charm though - the film is just sort of "there", much like Llewyn himself, constantly adrift yet still popping up into peoples' lives. 

The highlights are the musical numbers though, and there's a real sense of affection from the Coen brothers for the genre that they're shining the spotlight on. Most of the songs are played in full (and live, uncut) and Oscar Isaac, himself a talented musician, trickles Llewyn's heartfelt and sorrowful melodies out beautifully. It's only when compared with the soundtrack that the film really stands on two feet, as songs such as the wonderful opener "Hang Me, Oh Hang Me" and the heartbreaking "The Death of Queen Jane" show us how Llewyn's heart truly works, unable to vocalise his thoughts fluently (or very kindly) without a guitar in his hand. 

There's something very melancholic about Isaac's portrayal of Llewyn that makes him such a definitive Coen character - he's definitely not the easiest to like, but he's one of the most complex and therefore one of the best. It's with a heavy heart and a sigh that he drags that guitar around the city with him, but his infuriatingly self-destructive nature keeps us at arms length.

Unapologetically leaving us hanging, the only thing that nags about Inside Llewyn Davis is its severe lack of character development. No spoilers here, but the full circle nature of the plot leaves us wishing that there had been a light at the end of the tunnel for Llewyn.

Summary

Classic Coen material, Inside Llewyn Davis will surely grate on those looking for a structured story with a clear beginning, middle and end but for the musically inclined (and anyone who knows what it feels like to be a struggling musician), this is a brilliant portrayal of a man just trying to get his feet off the ground. Coupled with the soundtrack, Inside Llewyn Davis should have been a storytelling masterpiece - it's just a shame that it's hard to see it that way upon first viewing. Still what appears to be a genuine love for country music and some really good performances, particularly from the supremely talented Oscar Isaac, make the Coen Brothers' latest film one to watch during this year's Oscar season.

8/10 - Great

See it if you liked: Walk The Line (2005), Burn After Reading (2008), Crazy Heart (2009)