Movie Review: Inside Llewyn Davis
Rated R
105 minutes
Directed by The Coen Brothers
Inside Llewyn Davis was a contender for the first R-rated film that I'd see in theaters. While it obviously was Nebraska, that doesn't make the tale of Llewyn Davis any less special to me. Folk songs tend to not work for me, so while I was greatly anticipating this film, I had somewhat lower expectations for this one than, say, Saving Mr. Banks or Nebraska. But for 105 minutes, Inside Llewyn Davis made me truly love folk music. I saw this on Monday. Since then, I've listened to the soundtrack 3 times now. That's how much of an impact this movie had on me.
Talking specifics about the songs, they were delivered really well, and I generally liked them all. Oscar Isaac has a wonderful voice, and that helped make "Hang Me, Oh Hang Me" and "The Death of Queen Jane" such emotional experiences for me. With all of his songs, Isaac puts such emotion into them that you can tell how much Llewyn cares about music. Carey Mulligan has a beautiful voice, and she was the best part of the song "Five Hundred Miles" that she sung with Stark Sands and Justin Timberlake. I now really want to see Shame, if only to hear Mulligan sing again. Going back to Timberlake, I had no idea he could sing like he did. He brought a certain energy and charisma to the extremely catchy "Please Mr. Kennedy," which also has Adam Driver in his own little world making noise that oddly worked.
As for the performances, they were incredibly good as well. Isaac is fantastic as being the guy that you root for, and seems to be moving in the right direction until, time and time again, he makes the wrong decisions. You see the effect of the decisions in the bathroom stall scene, which could have been foreshadowing for what happens later, with the stall representing Llewyn's current life. Mulligan, while somewhat underused, is darkly hilarious as the complex Jean, who cares deeply about Llewyn, even though she's extremely mad at him. John Goodman is also very good in his 10 minutes, and I was able to interpret his character as the human representation of Llewyn's thoughts about what's going on in his life. The cats, while extremely cute, serve a deeper purpose, with both thoroughly embracing Llewyn as he somewhat rejects them. All the rest of the cast is great as well, including a brief part by F. Murray Abraham.
The direction is great, as The Coens know how to create the mood and atmosphere that our characters are placed in. The writing is also fantastic, as it is humorous and witty, while having an undertone of depression and sadness to it. The cinematography is wonderful, as it is sometimes used to express how Llewyn is feeling in certain circumstances, and manages to give a cold atmosphere with a warm heart to the settings. The lighting is also perfect, since it accurately captures the environment of these places that Llewyn is in. I'll be honest, I didn't hear a score, but the folk songs were good enough to wash that complaint away from me. The costumes also felt rather time-appropriate to me. One problem was that there was maybe a bit of over-abundance with the scenes in the music club, but that's pretty much my only complaint.
This was only my second Coen Brothers film, the first one being True Grit. And if this is what they deliver consistently, sign me up for more! I loved it, and it just gets better upon reflection. It's just wonderful. I can't be mad at it for much of anything. Amazingly put together, and one I can't wait to revisit.
4/5
A-
The direction is great, as The Coens know how to create the mood and atmosphere that our characters are placed in. The writing is also fantastic, as it is humorous and witty, while having an undertone of depression and sadness to it. The cinematography is wonderful, as it is sometimes used to express how Llewyn is feeling in certain circumstances, and manages to give a cold atmosphere with a warm heart to the settings. The lighting is also perfect, since it accurately captures the environment of these places that Llewyn is in. I'll be honest, I didn't hear a score, but the folk songs were good enough to wash that complaint away from me. The costumes also felt rather time-appropriate to me. One problem was that there was maybe a bit of over-abundance with the scenes in the music club, but that's pretty much my only complaint.
This was only my second Coen Brothers film, the first one being True Grit. And if this is what they deliver consistently, sign me up for more! I loved it, and it just gets better upon reflection. It's just wonderful. I can't be mad at it for much of anything. Amazingly put together, and one I can't wait to revisit.
4/5
A-
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