Review of Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) by Harry W — 23 Feb 2014

Inside Llewyn Davis was a film I couldn't miss since it was the latest feature to he directed by The Coen Brothers.

Inside Llewyn Davis proved to be a beautiful film. But it should be mentioned that some audiences that aren't familiar with the style of The Coen Brothers may find themselves confused about what the message is or alienated from the film. I know to a certain extent it took me a while to figure out just what Inside Llewyn Davis was saying, but that's the case with practically every film by The Coen Brothers. You have to understand just what they are all about before embracing a film if theirs.

Nevertheless, thanks to growing up with a lot of encouragement to watch films by Joel and Ethan Coen, I was easily able to enjoy Inside Llewyn Davis.

Inside Llewyn Davis is a film that only The Coen Brothers could have made, because it features many iconic elements of their styles of filmmaking. For one thing, the atmosphere is key. The constant melancholic tone of Inside Llewyn Davis made the experience a sympathetic emotional one, and it never went into melodramatic pessimistic territory. It always felt like true melancholia, and that made it a sadly beautiful story which was emotionally rich in expression of depression.

And second of all, despite telling its simple story well with beautiful melancholia, it has a distinct touch of Coen Comedy to it. As with arguably all features by Joel and Ethan Coen, there is always a touch of humour to lighten the story a brief bit without making it exit it's melancholic atmosphere. It's sad and funny and just perfectly atmospheric, as well as paced with a gently slow movement and rich with emotional integrity.

Plus, as usual with Coen features it is exceptionally well written. The story, whilst simple has a very fascinating chronological structure to it. It tells its series of complex emotional plot dynamics in a stylish manner which benefits from strong storytelling and the very intelligent script. As per usual, a lot of insight into the minds of its characters is provided by the script, and the dialogue is rich with reality and a touch of humour in just the right spots. It's beautifully written, and the acting is thoroughly delightful.

Oscar Isaac proves a lot of his talents in Inside Llewyn Davis, and his performance is reminiscent of actor John Tuturro who frequents appearances in films by The Coen Brothers. He proves within a few seconds on screen that he has a singing voice that is so gentle and pure that it can touch your soul. He carries the simple aspects of Inside Llewyn Davis with his flawless characterisation of the titular musician, and his charm as an actor and a musician make him a great actor worth following throughout his career, arguably. Oscar Isaac is the heart of the film, and working with The Coen Brothers as the brains of the film he gives it his absolute best and comes out shining.

Carey Mulligan manages to make a seriously strong impact in her performance which creates a character that mixes comedic and dramatic elements together smoothly, creating a really interesting chemistry with Oscar Isaac which builds a lot of drama with.

John Goodman manages to deliver an unforgettable job within his brief time on screen, because his powerful skill at dominating the screen as an actor becomes the source of drama and comedy when he is present. And as always with his collaborations with The Coen Brothers he manages to completely nail the character with tenacious voice articulation and impressive strength. John Goodman is arguably one of the best actors in the cast.

F. Murray Abraham does a fine job within his brief screen time as well.

Lastly, Justin Timberlake is at some of his most vibrantly charming in his small role in Inside Llewyn Davis and his voice is spot on in reeling the mood of the film into the music.

But two of the most immensely positive qualities in Inside Llewyn Davis are its technical aspects.

For one thing, the soundtrack is absolutely incredible. The folk music presents a step back to the territory that The Coen Brothers touched upon in their 2000 comedy O Brother, Where Art Thou? by using folk music as the auditory medium for the atmosphere, and in Inside Llewyn Davis it proves to be one of the most important aspects of the story development and heart.

And visually, it's most impressive aspect is the Academy Award nominated cinematography. The cinematography is beautiful, nailing all the perfect angles and moods of scenes in its shots and style which is beautifully impressive. It's the most artistic element of the film and it serves as a portal inside the mind of Llewyn Davis. The movement of the camera is so smooth and it's focus is always perfect, so it's undeniably impressive.

So inside Llewyn Davis Serves as a step back for The Coen Brothers into more low-budget filmmaking but another step up in quality, and it's an intelligent tale of melancholy which may be overbearing to some but will impress others, including fans of Joel and Ethan Coen. And if that isn't enough, than Oscar Isaac's undefinable talents in the lead role surely should be.