Disc-ussion: I abhor everything about this scene. I’d rather self immolate than attend another open mic night and believe there is a special circle of hell reserved for proponents of the folksy-acoustic singer-songwriter brigade.
So it was with a sense of trepidation that I settled down to watch this musical comedy-drama about a down on his luck folk singer trying to get by in early 60’s New York.
But in the capable hands of the Cohen brothers and a talented cast, what could have been a nightmarish descent into self-indulgent bollocks emerges a heartfelt odyssey of music, melancholy and moving on.
Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) is a struggling musician looking for his big break and hawking his new solo record after the death of his former bandmate. Couchsurfing with his guitar, summer coat and occasional ginger feline companion in the winter of ‘61, the film follows him through a week of struggle and regret, loss and redemption as a rapidly dwindling list of friends, lovers and hangers-on help and hinder his progress and a chance at breaking free.
Oscar Isaac shines in what will surely be his breakout role, bringing a likeable charm to the largely unsympathetic Llewyn and deftly balancing the shifts in mood and fortune. And it doesn’t hurt that besides his acting and vocal talent he is damn fine to look at; fan-girls-and-gays clear your schedules and get ready for your new obsession.
The rest of the cast are more than a match, with Carey Mulligan as a snarky sometime lover and the likes of Adam Driver, Garett Hedlund and Ethan Phillips playing it weird for moments of laugh-out-loud hilarity. John Goodman is a hoot as a misanthropic jazz musician while Justin Timberlake is actually perfectly decent without being show-offish.
All this wouldn’t matter without the music, and it’s a credit to all involved that the soundtrack is exceptional. Performed mostly live and in full, the cast pull off the timeless, soulful quality of the songs magnificently, while the Coen brothers distil a sense of time and place to bring to life an atmosphere of unpretentiousness that clubs these days can only dream of. Yes, that shouldn’t make sense, but it works perfectly. You’ll emerge from the cinema singing Please Mr Kennedy for days.
Inside Llewyn Davis is released in the UK 24th January
By: Versais Demauve
