"Inside Llewyn Davis" Review

The Coen Brothers have made some of the most memorable movies in the past 30 years. From Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter stealing quintuplets in Raising Arizona to Jeff Bridges, Steve Buscemi, and John Goodman creating trouble in The Big Lebowski, they have mastered the art of intelligent comedy. Dramatic fare such as No Country for Old Men, A Serious Man, True Grit has brought them critical acclaim. Thus, the latest film from the duo was highly anticipated by their cult following, which include myself. But where does Inside Llweyn Davis land on the scale?

Set over the course of one week in 1961, Inside Llewyn Davis is about the titular folk musician who is trying to develop a solo act after his partner threw himself off the George Washington Bridge. Broke and Homeless, Llewyn goes from couch to couch. He is at odds with most of his friends, and wanders around with his guitar and his friends cat trying to find a gig. With little recourse, he goes to Chicago with two eccentric strangers in an attempt to meet with a famous record producer.

The film certainly has enough substance to carry itself through the end. It's a very touching underdog story that makes you root for for the down and out hero. At the same time, it also illustrates the burden that he imposes on the people that he supposedly cares about. He's a nuisance, but he's a lovable nuisance. His struggle is interesting enough, and the characters that he meets bring out his emotional fire.

The trouble is that while on the surface, Llewyn Davis looks like a soulful individual with a dark inner struggle. But it never goes any deeper than that. We never really go "Inside" Llewyn Davis. It is very much a surface picture. As a character, there isn't a lot of development. He doesn't really change as an individual for his experiences, and in the end, there isn't a lot of payoff.

The music fan and animal lover will certainly enjoy the picture. The songs are full of heart and never really feel out of place. There's a very catchy line that most musicians will enjoy: "If it was never new, and it never gets old, then it's a folk song." As for the animal enthusiast, the cat in the film serves as great symbolism for the journey. I have always marveled at the ability of filmmakers to get animals to perform on cue.

Oscar Isaac turns in a good performance for what the script allows. He has a great singing voice, and enough emotion to justify his casting in the lead role. He doesn't do anything that deters the film in any way, but I feel as if the script was a bit deeper, Oscar would have been a bigger awards candidate.

Carey Mulligan is also sufficient in her role as Jean Burkey, giving equal parts rage and understanding. There is a moral ambiguity to her character that keeps her from just being a stale voice reason.

Justin Timberlake doesn't get too much to do in his role as Jean's husband, but for what he is given, he does brilliantly. In my "Musicians turned Actors" theorem, Justin is clearly one of the best to try his hand at the latter. He has enough substance to him to keep him from just being a script reader.

John Goodman also has a brief role as Roland Turner, a cantankerous jazz musician that Llewyn travels to Chicago with. At first glance, he seems to simply be another cynical, glass half empty deterrent to our protagonist, which is something Goodman is terrific at, but there is something more to him that Goodman gets to work with that makes him that much more interesting.

It certainly won't be the best or most memorable Coen Brothers film, but it's certainly not bad. Inside Llewyn Davis has enough to it to make it worthwhile, so give it a look. The music fan will certainly enjoy it.

B-