DVD REVIEW: INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
It's been a busy past few weeks, but I've had time to check out one of my biggest misses from 2013's Oscar season, starring an Oscar in it, and that's the Coen brother's Inside Llewyn Davis. There was critical vocalization against this being snubbed in this month's ceremonies, only getting nods for its cinematography and sound mixing, losing both to that little outer space movie.
Well, going inside Inside Llewyn Davis, I can see both sides of this heavily polarized film. First off, it's for sure a Coen brother's movie. It's quirky, has their signature wit, inspired music and John Goodman. All of those things are its strengths. The cinematography is initially infuriating: why have it so dimly lit you sometimes literally can't see what's going on at nighttime on the screen? But then it hit me: it was an intentional choice. The life of Mr. Davis can certainly not be interpreted as a positive one, to himself or to the nearly parasitic relationship he has with those he loves/has just met. Detractors of the film call him a jaded misanthrope, but even though he doesn't go through much development, I would certainly argue the contrary!
Everything's going wrong for our man: his ex may/may not be pregnant with Baby Llewyn, he's struggling with a folk solo career, and he, for the life of him, can not seem to hold on to his friend's tabby. It's a lot to juggle in 104 minutes, but the result comes off surprisingly well. I say surprisingly only because the Coens' film A Serious Man, which snagged a Best Picture nomination back in 2010, was in my opinion highly overrated. The laughs were short and the story not of great interest. But even though Llewyn is a pessimistic loser in most aspects of life, I always found myself wondering what misadventures he'd end up on his next odyssey.
A lot of that praise is directed towards Oscar Isaac, sounding strangely like Adam Sandler here, who carries the film on his shoulders. I first took note of Isaac in Drive, as most people did, when he played doomed ex-con Standard. Perhaps it's the beard and surprisingly good singing, but you can't take your eyes off him, imagining his next move. A typically strong cast includes big faces in not exactly large parts: Carey Mulligan as the prego ex, Justin Timberlake as Jim, her boyfriend, Adam Driver as fellow singer Al Cody and...John Goodman as Roland Turner. The chemistry between he and the Coens must be dynamic, because they certainly bring out the best in him. He plays Davis' car companion on a trip to Chicago, a sleazy, mostly sleeping bear of a fellow who unabashedly speaks his mind. In Goodman, Davis finds its blackest humor and its funniest moments; Goodman had me laughing hard!
So what happens to Llewyn Davis? A lot of unfortunate things. But here's what I think it's trying to say: some people never change. And our boy Llewyn is one of them. He is, in his ex's words, King Midas' idiot brother. And it's no spoiler to say this doesn't have a Hollywood ending...it's the Coens after all. Did you see No Country for Old Men? They play by their own rules, and I respect that. Davis may be a sad-sack, but I'm glad I could take a journey with him!
Well, going inside Inside Llewyn Davis, I can see both sides of this heavily polarized film. First off, it's for sure a Coen brother's movie. It's quirky, has their signature wit, inspired music and John Goodman. All of those things are its strengths. The cinematography is initially infuriating: why have it so dimly lit you sometimes literally can't see what's going on at nighttime on the screen? But then it hit me: it was an intentional choice. The life of Mr. Davis can certainly not be interpreted as a positive one, to himself or to the nearly parasitic relationship he has with those he loves/has just met. Detractors of the film call him a jaded misanthrope, but even though he doesn't go through much development, I would certainly argue the contrary!Everything's going wrong for our man: his ex may/may not be pregnant with Baby Llewyn, he's struggling with a folk solo career, and he, for the life of him, can not seem to hold on to his friend's tabby. It's a lot to juggle in 104 minutes, but the result comes off surprisingly well. I say surprisingly only because the Coens' film A Serious Man, which snagged a Best Picture nomination back in 2010, was in my opinion highly overrated. The laughs were short and the story not of great interest. But even though Llewyn is a pessimistic loser in most aspects of life, I always found myself wondering what misadventures he'd end up on his next odyssey.
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| Goodman steals all of his scenes, unconscious or otherwise |
So what happens to Llewyn Davis? A lot of unfortunate things. But here's what I think it's trying to say: some people never change. And our boy Llewyn is one of them. He is, in his ex's words, King Midas' idiot brother. And it's no spoiler to say this doesn't have a Hollywood ending...it's the Coens after all. Did you see No Country for Old Men? They play by their own rules, and I respect that. Davis may be a sad-sack, but I'm glad I could take a journey with him!
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