Llewyn Davis, a young folk singer, couch surfs through the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961, desperate to make a name for himself. It's the middle of another unforgiving winter and with guitar and tow, Llewyn tries desperately to make it as a musician, even against what seem to be insurmountable obstacles, some of which are from his own making. Ethan & Joel Coen's Inside Llewyn Davis is a film very much about the artistic struggle. This isn't so much a film about plot but mood and character, as we witness in Llewyn a man who constantly seems to be going nowhere. There are so many small moments throughout Inside Llewyn Davis that quietly, and not so quietly, capture the wear and tear this lifestyle has on a person. It's a constant slog and the Coen brothers have created a film that really makes the audience feel this hardship. This is definitely not a feel good movie but the Coen's unique brand of humor is still prevalent throughout Inside Llewyn Davis perfectly giving the audience a breather from the struggle. A beautifully crafted film, Inside Llewyn Davis' use of a shades of gray aesthetic perfectly fits this film, capturing this beaten down man who just can't seem to get to where he wants to be. A film that subverts mainstream expectations through and through, the ending of Inside Llewyn Davis is particularly fascinating, as if the Coen's are suggesting that Llewyn Davis' hardship is circular and never-ending, or maybe this is simply his point-of-view. There is no doubt that this is a deeply personal film for the Coen brothers and honestly I was surprised I didn't connect with it more on an emotional level. That being said, there is no denying Inside Llewyn Davis is a well-crafted study of human struggle. 7.75/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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