Inside Llewyn Davis – Review

A roundabout folk tale of a film, Inside Llewyn Davis brings the usual Coen Brothers dark observational humor, hints of charm, and realistic ups and downs of life. Certainly not the “feel good” movie of the year, as this features plenty of downs for the main character, Inside Llewyn Davis still offers a lot for most any viewer.

Covering about a week or so in 1961, New Yorker Llewyn Davis (Isaac) sings his heart out with a haunting song about life and a hanging. Somehow it is very listenable despite the tale at its core. Outside, he gets his ass kicked by a stranger in an alleyway. Why? Wait a while, you may find out.

Llewyn has been down on his luck as of late, scrambling for places to stay and gigs that pay since his album (also the movie title) is not selling. After a night at his well-off friends the Gorfeins, he lets their cat out accidentally and chases it down, then heads to beg fellow musician Jean Berkey (Mulligan) to stay at her apartment for a couple nights. She is married to another musician Jim (Timberlake), and allows Llewyn, and the cat, a night’s stay.

This is about as simple as the story gets, as complications, and cats, continue to disrupt Llewyn’s life. As he looks for ways to stay afloat, he considers most any option and plays most any gig. The film continues down the path of a very dark comedy, and life drama.

Even if the folk music and subject matter included isn’t typically your vibe, it all fits the film so cohesively that you may wind up liking most everything about the presented atmosphere. The acting is top notch, and the cast keeps surprising with new appearances most of the way through. This is an expertly crafted film that will have variable mileage per viewer, but its quality cannot be denied.