Inside Llewyn Davis

I love folk music.




This movie, awe man oh man, this movie.

Best picture...nope. Not at all. Good movie, yeah. Worth checking out....well that depends on who you are.

This review will contain no spoilers. I'll just talk about my feeling overall.

This is a great movie . . . and a terrible movie all in one package.
It really depends on the type of person you are an the type of movies you like to see.

The main reason I think this film is getting a lot of positive review buzz inside of 'The Industry' is because we were all at one point starving artists, at least those of us who've struggled at one point in this business, the entertainment business. But I don't believe people who don't understand the lifestyle of freelancing and gigging will get the bleak sorrow that is this ballad the Coen's have wrote. And what is really about. And even worse outside of 'artists' I'm not sure people who don't understand this lifestyle will be able to relate. I relate, but just barely enough to give this movie a passing grade. I don't relate completely to this character. He's a fuck up and kinda an asshole. But "Inside Llewyn Davis" illustrates how success and failure hang on a thread so thin it seems to almost be nonexistent. And there is a moment at the very end of the film when all is lost, and all is lost, that is shows a glimpse of a great artist just about to catch on and it made me realize that Llewyn Davis is a film about 'the other guy' it's a film about the failure.

The theme of "Inside Llewyn Davis" is much more important than the actual film itself. 'Give up music, and what get a job and just what? Exist' - 'Is this all you think we do is exist'. It's a question all artists asks, when is it time to give up 'childish things' but art isn't a childish thing, but it can be childish pursuit or a fools errand. And this film illustrates that point to such a razor sharp edge it took my breath away.

If it wasn't for the way the ending turned out I'd of hated this movie. And it doesn't build to a great moment but it makes a great moment out of nothing, a great moment out of a soft moment, which great films tend to do well. But the middle of the story, (if you can call it a story, it's just a man traveling on one adventure to the next stumbling around hoping seemingly aimlessly for success) It's a slice of life of a character whose kind of an asshole, but kind of reasonable fed up that he's both made bad decisions...and that life has rather just shit on him.

I get this story. It is sad, bleak, full of failure, but poetic in that since. A ballad of a loser that's relatable if you have any sort of artistic passion you pursue outside of your comfort zone.

* * * The characters are very well acted but some of the side characters seem like caricatures like slice of life Norman Rockwell actors with 1 beat jokes in the delivery of line that's humorous but often distracting.

* * * I love the folk songs, and despite Llewyn in his personal life kinda being a jerk, kinda being downbeat having been so beat-down, Oscar Issac sings beautifully. And deserves the Oscar in his name. (Though just nominated there are other performances this year that took my breath away but his is a great one, subtle, but the right tone.)

 * * * The cinematography by Bruno Delbonnel (Amelie) is bleak, blue, icy, and just perfect for the tone of the film.



The final lines of the film "American Psycho" a film whose bleakness I deeply enjoy do the awkward comedic satire of the film, yet it still reminds me of Llewyn Davis and I know it's an odd comparison but for me it fits because there truly is no cathartic tone for the movie. It's the same note as when it began, some films are the emotional equivalent of Rhapsody in Blue and Llewyn is the emotional Ligeti or just one cord being pulled back like an arrow but never fired. It's bleak and almost feels flat at times. If you've seen enough Coen films it's easy to predict how this film will play out. I wasn't surprised. And that to me is a downer for a film with such high accolades. But there are moments peppered in that made me laugh, made me reflect, and one at the very end that made it all click into place that without that one little moment tying it all together I would have hated the film. I can't help but recommend it to the right person who just might love it, who it just might ring really true to as appose to me who it only rung vaguely true to. It is a great film and a bad one all at once, not quite a mixed bag, the tone is consistent, but there is no catharsis and it is a downer but with honest human moments in between.

"But even after admitting this, there is no catharsis; my punishment continues to elude me, and I gain no deeper knowledge of myself. No new knowledge can be extracted from my telling. This confession has meant nothing." AMERICAN PSYCHO. Hang me Oh hang me 

Oh there is also a cat . . . .