'Inside Llewyn Davis' Review

Being a musician can be a hard life. But once you breakthrough and reach that ultimate destination it can be such a rewarding experience. Although not everyone can make it and sometimes that rough journey can just suck as the title character learns in the Coen brothers new film Inside Llewyn Davis

Loosely based on the singer Dave Van Ronk’s life, the film takes place in the 1961 New York folk scene. Oscar Isaac plays Davis who is a struggling musician waiting for his break. Davis used to be a part of a somewhat successful duo, but now he is working on a solo career. Unable to afford his own place, Llewyn is forced to move from couch to couch each night hoping that his new record will start picking up. The days can seem long and it is easy to lose track of the days, something the Coens show brilliantly as we to forget which day is which.

Needing a break from his New York life Llewyn hitches a ride to Chicago where he hopes to meet a famous producer to help escalate his career. But as we soon learn, success isn’t meant for everyone, even some of the great artists.

Folk music has become a forgotten genre in American music but it was one of the most important musical movements. Bob Dylan is the prominent figure from that period and as great as he is, he overshadowed many of the other great artists, something this film acknowledges, both figuratively and literally.

Even though this film is about a depressed man it is certainly not a depressing film. The Coens throw in some of their trademark dark humor that bring about some laugh out loud moments, including one of the funniest songs about John F. Kennedy you will ever hear.

The film is beautifully shot that brings about a feeling of nostalgia. The music is exceptional due to the contribution of T-Bone Burnett. But people will come out of the theater talking about Oscar Isaac. He plays Llewyn not by asking for our sympathy but with a sense of hopefulness. But what really is surprising is Isaac’s singing ability. His voice has the ability to express great pain and inspire at the same time. So much so that he could probably make a nice career if he quit acting and toured with his guitar. After seeing this film we should take some time to reflect on the artists whom we listen to, who pour their hearts into their music to try and create something valuable, rather than the new recyclable teen pop star who sings about being rich and famous.