Inside Llewyn Davis

Composite Score: 86.3

Starring: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, Justin Timberlake, Ethan Phillips, Robin Bartlett, Max Casella, Adam Driver, Stark Sands, and F. Murray Abraham

Directors: Ethan Coen and Joel Coen

Writers: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Genres: Drama, Music

MPAA Rating: R for language including some sexual references

Box Office: $32.96 million worldwide

My take on Watching This Film:

                Inside Llewyn Davis is the Coen Brothers’ film about the early 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene, revolving around the fictional Llewyn Davis whose devotion to his craft and abrasive attitude often land him in hot waters. The film really serves as a deep character study of passion and listlessness, following Llewyn from episode to episode, putting his full character on display, warts and all. Oscar Isaac does a fantastic job in the titular role; the film’s soundtrack continues to hold up, and the writing from the Coen Brothers might be some of their most brilliant and darkly comedic. The film did receive Oscar nominations for Best Sound Mixing and Best Cinematography, holding up well in the eyes of critics.

                Light on plot and heavy on music, vibes, and dialogue, the film feels in many ways like the true peak of the Coen Brothers’ careers as filmmakers – less mainstream than No Country, less violent than Fargo, darker than O Brother, and smarter than Hail Caesar. Obviously, Isaac’s standout performance carries the film as the lovably brusque struggling musician, but it’s the supporting cast and the richness that they bring to this fictionalized 60s Greenwich Village that truly gives the film its legs. Isaac gives a career best performance, and it’s supported perfectly in every scene by his counterparts – both musical and dramatic. From Carey Mulligan’s bitter Jane to Adam Driver’s quirky Al to John Goodman’s presumptuous Roland Turner, the world is populated with characters that inspired many a millennial open-mic night – smoking cigarettes, debating the merits of various music styles and artists, and just generally wallowing in the joy of the struggle. It’s more than just a film trying to pay homage to a bygone era. It’s a world unto its own, carried by the characters that inhabit it and the cold of their environment, captured beautifully by cinematographer

                If the Coen Brothers, folk music, good acting, and/or great writing are your thing, Inside Llewyn Davis has them all in spades, and that amalgamation earns it a spot among the Greatest Films of All Time. The minimal plot and heavy focus on a less than fully redeemable character might be more than some audiences are ready to reckon with, but those who can enjoy that will never let you hear the end of how great this film is. Currently, you can stream this film on Paramount+ or via Hoopla with a valid library card if you’d like to give it a go.