“Inside Llewyn Davis” (2013)
My Coen Brothers Top Ten — Vol 9.
Back in a long ago January of 2014 when this latest piece of cinematic perfection from the Coen Brothers was released here in the UK I managed, by hook and by internet crook, to watch Inside Llewyn Davis four times in as many days. The first was a dreadful internet copy that I only persisted with because it was the creation of those mad brothers from Minnesota and the second was the same awful copy as I was in the throes of finally persuading my brother Andy to see the cinematic light and agree with me that the Coen Brothers were cinema’s finest storytellers. A day or so later I finally saw a pristine copy at Birmingham’s “Electric Cinema” that 9 years ago was the height of independent luxurious cinema with an intimate personal service from the owners, retro “Admit One” tickets and rather than individual seats you in fact booked a film star named sofa (those were the days!) and then, as internet luck would have it, when I returned home and delved back inside The Matrix, I found an updated and similarly pristine copy, and so I watched the Coen Brothers put Oscar Isaac through their torturously amusing treatment for a fourth time.
Loosely based on the autobiography of folk singer Dave Von Ronk (“The Mayor of MacDougal Street”), I recommend the book to you as highly as I do the film as I adore Inside Llewyn Davis and the only reason it charts as my 9th all time favourite film directed by the Coen Brothers is because the cinematic masters have created 8 better films.
What possible further recommendation could you need?
“Where’s his scrotum Llewyn? Where’s his scrotum?”
Towards the end of the opening Act, long suffering and perpetually angry “Jean” (Carey Mulligan) dismisses our protagonist with a damning shot across his bows “You don’t want to go anywhere and that’s why all the same shit is going to keep happening to you. Because you want it to”. And therein lies a simple metaphor for the film as a whole as well as a continuing insight into the fractious state of the relationship between Jean and “Llewyn Davis” (Oscar Isaac). Whilst Jean is settled and pursuing a singing career in the same underground cafes as our protagonist, Llewyn is unsettled, frustrated and desperate for his art to receive the recognition he believes it deserves. But playing for the “basket” (the night’s takings) at small, cramped cafes leaves Llewyn constantly without money or the desired recognition, and we follow his painful yet blackly comedic merry go round as he stumbles from one disaster to another.
Sound familiar Coen Brothers fans? What’s also familiar is the brooding, sometimes morose tone but what has (again) been overlooked is that viewed with more sympathetic eyes this could and should be viewed as a melancholic masterpiece. Based on the life of folk singer Dave Van Ronk and his highly recommended memoir “The Mayor of MacDougall Street”, the film attempts to capture life in Greenwich Village, New York in 1961. Kitsch songs abound, as does garish clothing and both belong to a bygone age but this only serves to heighten Llewyn’s frustrations.
The title of Inside Llewyn Davis may refer to us as the audience being within the confines of this frustrated singer and experiencing his inner torment, but similarly it can be seen as slightly ironic as Llewyn is anything but inside but very much outside and struggling to find his rightful place in the burgeoning folk rock scene of the 1960’s. The film is set in 1961 and pre Bob Dylan however the film is inexplicably linked to Dylan in so many ways. Dave Van Ronk and Bob Dylan were on/off friends for many years and both pioneers of the folk scene. One received universal acclaim as one of the greatest singer songwriters of our age, whilst the other was marginally less successful! But history aside the film is soaked through with a Dylanesque tone and sepia colouring, right through to feeling like his famous album cover for “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan”. It may just be me (OK, it is just me!) but seeing Llewyn trudging, head down through the Chicago snow is vaguely reminiscent of this album cover and Dylan himself appears in the finale’.
More to the point, the lyrical style of Llewyn’s final song “If I had Wings” morphs into an until recently “lost” Dylan song and this is clearly no accident. The soundtrack itself is an absolute joy with the above songs accompanied by many more and many indeed played in full throughout the film, with a Dave Van Ronk original of “Green, Green Rocky Road” playing over the end credits. However the remaining songs are all original compositions created by Coen Brothers stalwart T Bone Burnett in collaboration with many of the film’s stars including Carey Mulligan, Oscar Isaac, Justin Timberlake and even the Coen’s themselves and Marcus Mumford of Mumford and Sons. Any film starting with a single microphone and a singer warbling “Hang Me Oh Hang Me” gets my immediate and undivided attention!
The stellar supporting cast is headed by Coen Brothers stalwart John Goodman as a drug addled, self important and teller of tall tales guitar player “Roland Turner” accompanied by his “valet” and driver “Johnny Five” played by Garrett Hedlund. Both compliment each other perfectly, with Goodman on superb form as the motor mouthed and obnoxious Turner, full of utter self importance yet struggling with his own demons and Hedlund provides the shade to his light with an almost wordless performance and cigarette constantly dangling from his mouth. Here in the second act however, as Roland, Johnny and Llewyn travel to Chicago the film stalls and the act itself feels a little forced and out of place, but sandwiching this act are further supporting roles throughout the film from Justin Timberlake as “Jim” a soft hearted and wide eyed fellow folk singer and creator of the film’s real laugh out loud (or should that be utterly cringe worthy, or both?!) song “Please Mr Kennedy”. Everything about this song needs to be seen, from the enthusiasm and innocence of Jim, to the vocal support provided by “Al Cody” (Adam Driver) through to Llewyn’s initial disdain and final begrudging acceptance. It’s one of the stand scenes of the film.
Further support is provided by Ethan Phillips (Mitch Gorfein) and Robin Bartlett (Lillian Gorfein) who excel as Llewyn’s put upon friends and Max Casella brings much light relief and brilliantly timed barbed comments as Gaslight Café owner “Pappi”. Jerry Grayson cameo’s as Llewyn’s absent Manager “Mel” and Stark Sands brilliantly portrays “Troy Nelson” so absurdly straight he steals the screen time with aplomb. There are many more characters throughout the film but the joy of each one is that they are the perfect counterpoint to Llewyn every time, the light to his shade, the innocence to his cynicism, the fresh faced enthusiasm to his world weariness and this is exemplified by the terrific cameo from F Murray Abraham as “Bud Grossman”.
Oh, and not forgetting a cat called “Ulysses” too!
But unsurprisingly it’s the anti hero of the title who excels and Oscar Isaac who brings his world weary and frustrated Llewyn to life so expertly. Criminally overlooked for any serious awards recognition he brings Llewyn to life and immediately into our hearts as he bares his soul with every song performance and every nuanced reaction as his life comically spirals out of his control at every turn. His performance of “Shoals of Herring” for his Father is heartbreakingly poignant as is his impromptu audition for an impassive Bud Grossman. Here Llewyn again provides a brilliantly soulful and heartfelt rendition whilst a dismissive and frankly bored prospective Manager looks on impassively before dismissing him with “I don’t see a lot of money here”. But the tragi-comedic performance is aptly shown by Llewyn’s gradual decline as the film progresses, his boiling frustration building as he’s thwarted at every turn. As the sarcasm builds, his nuanced looks of contempt and disdain follow. Llewyn Davis simply does not fit in. He’s estranged from his family, friends, contemporaries and indeed life itself. Penniless and living life on the lam and in the clothes he stands in, it’s an astonishing performance of a lifetime from Oscar Isaac and worthy of far more recognition than it initially received.
Like so many of their accomplished works, I was initially unsure of this latest masterpiece from the Coen Brothers. Whilst it was love at first sight, this is nothing new for me as I can’t help but fall instantly in love with all of their creations. Further viewings enhance the experience and help capture the subtleties but the looping time story and melancholic air left many audiences cold, unfulfilled and confused. Why does Llewyn suffer so, and so often? There lies the genius of the film and two of cinema’s finest storytellers of our age. Considering my myopic love for all things Coen Brothers, this is another odyssey of discovery and of life affirmation against the odds.
Clearly I now need a good beard, a guitar and a cat called Ulysses!
Thanks for reading. Just for larks as always, and always a human reaction rather than spoilers galore. My three most recently published film articles are linked below or there’s well over 180 blog articles (with 350+ individual film reviews) within my archives from which to choose:
