"Inside Llewyn Davis" is another masterpiece birthed from the minds of the Coen brothers. Set in 1961, Llewyn Davis is a folk artist hovering from one person’s couch to the next on the west side of Greenwich Village in New York City, as he tries to survive on the $3 that he has in his pocket and the talent within him. With a guitar in his left hand and a friend’s cat in his right, he travels what seems to be all over the world to find his success. The film starts the way that it ends, very simply, and it is very unsatisfying. This film, like many Coen brothers film, takes you on a rollercoaster ride of emotional and suspenseful awkwardness.
The cinematography is beautiful and ever revealing of the characters and their lives. There is an ever-present unwanted anticipation of someone-about-to-get-punched-in-the-face, and it happens when you least expect it to happen. I spent the entire film analyzing situations and seeking symbolism that the naked eye would not see. I enjoyed this film thoroughly and the acting is absolutely impeccable.
Oscar Isaac lays out a brilliant performance, both as an actor and a musician. The rest of the cast does a magnificent job making the world that this story takes place in seem that much more real. This film feels like it took place in real life. It makes you feel as though these characters were real people and that these events did take place in the winter of 1961. This story, these characters . . . all of it makes hope seem hopeless. This film, to me, is a metaphor for life in its entirety, and not just a simple phase that humans go through. "Inside Llewyn Davis" shows the struggles and obstacles that artists must fight through and over in order to survive and live; it shows the struggles and obstacles that humans must fight through and clamber over in order to survive, live and succeed in this world that is called “home”. This film is gritty and as an audience member you are immersed into Llewyn’s deprecation and self-disgust. I believe that this film reveals much of the world that people are afraid to address and recognize as existing. The “starving artist” was never just a stereotype, character trope or label to throw onto someone; it was very real and very true, and this film reveals this truth to its audience.
The Coen brothers have done it once again. I would recommend this film to any and all people, no matter their preferred genre of film or their preference of actor. Regardless of any bullshit excuse that someone can come up with to not see this film, I believe that it is worth every person's time. "Inside Llewyn Davis" is human existence, and I believe that it deserves much more credit than it is given.
