How Does “Inside Llewyn Davis” Rank In the Coen Brothers Canon? (short review)

Inside Llewyn Davis For more than two years, I have been anticipating the new Joel and Ethan Coen movie loosely based on the life of folksinger David Van Ronk, Inside Llewyn Davis. Although the Coen Brothers movie may not live up to my expectations of another great integration of story, humor, and music as in O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), Inside Llewyn Davis is another very good film from the Coen Brothers.

Inside Llewyn Davis follows Llewyn Davis, played by Oscar Isaac, as a struggling folksinger in 1961 Greenwich Village. This review will not give away too much of the story, but the film follows Davis moving around trying to find a couch to sleep on while he struggles to make a living with his music. The movie opens with Davis giving a moving performance of the traditional folk song “Hang Me Oh Hang Me.” In that scene, the actor and musician Isaac immediately conveys the musical soul of Davis.

But as in several other Coen Brothers movies, we see that the world is not quite fair. Others do not recognize Davis’s talents, while we see other more polished and less soulful groups on the rise. But Davis is not an innocent, as he often contributes to his own troubles.

In addition to Isaac, the film features a number of excellent performances by Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan, and Coen Brothers film regular John Goodman. The music is pretty good too, but not O Brother good even though producer T Bone Burnett was involved in both movies. Perhaps one thing that prevented the music from taking off for me was that the film seemed to want me to distinguish between “bad” folk music and “good” folk music, even as I wanted to enjoy the “bad” songs too, like the ridiculous but fun “Please Mr. Kennedy.”

Although critics are giving the movie great reviews as show by Rotten Tomatoes 93% rating, I also understand why the Rotten Tomatoes audience rating is almost 20 points lower at only 75%. At times, the lead character’s faults seem to override his charm or the usual Coen Brothers sense of humor (even if that humor does usually carry doses of cynicism and fatalism). Also, one might find that the film plays like a series of vignettes rather than a plot-driven story.

If I were to rate this film among the Coen Brothers catalog, it would still fit among my top ten Coen Brothers films, although maybe it would be around ninth. On the other hand, even if Inside Llewyn Davis is not in league with movies like Fargo (1996) and No Country for Old Men (2007) that blew me away at the first viewing, I suspect that I may grow to love the movie more on repeated viewings, as has happened with me for films like A Serious Man (2009) and Miller’s Crossing (1990).

In other words, I look forward to seeing Inside Llewyn Davis again. And I also plan to pick up folksinger David Van Ronk’s memoir that inspired the film, The Mayor of MacDougal Street. Meanwhile, I suggest you check out Inside Llewyn Davis for yourself.

How would you rank Inside Llewyn Davis among the Coen Brothers catalog? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • Red Band Trailer for Upcoming Coen Brothers’ Film: “Inside Llewyn Davis”
  • Trailer for Coen Brothers’ Film: “Hail, Caesar!”
  • New Coen Brothers Films Trailer: “Inside Llyewn Davis”
  • The Journey of “Hang Me, Oh Hang Me” From the Scaffold to the Screen
  • The Coolest Thing About the Opening of “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
  • This Week in Pop Culture Roundup (Nov. 5, 2011)
  • (Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)

    Red Band Trailer for Upcoming Coen Brothers’ Film: “Inside Llewyn Davis”

    Inside Llewyn Davis Trailer

    As noted previously on Chimesfreedom, filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen have been working on Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), a movie about the early 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene. As the Coen Brothers prepare for the movie’s Cannes showing, they have released a “red band” trailer (i.e., a trailer that is only approved for mature audiences). So if you are mature, check out the new trailer for Inside Llewyn Davis, which does not reveal too much about the plot of the movie.

    As in the previous trailer we posted in January, the song playing in this new red band trailer is Bob Dylan’s “Farewell.” Dylan wrote the song in 1963 but it did not appear on any official record releases until 2010 on The Bootleg Series, Vol. 9: The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964.

    Oscar Isaac stars in Inside Llewyn Davis, which also features Carey Mulligan and Justin Timberlake. The film, reportedly roughly based on singer Dave Van Ronk’s book The Mayor of MacDougal Street, has taken awhile to arrive. But from the trailer, it might be worth the wait. You may see some still photos from the film on DigitalSpy.

    Will you watch Inside Llewyn Davis? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • How Does “Inside Llewyn Davis” Rank In the Coen Brothers Canon? (short review)
  • New Coen Brothers Films Trailer: “Inside Llyewn Davis”
  • Trailer for Coen Brothers’ Film: “Hail, Caesar!”
  • The Journey of “Hang Me, Oh Hang Me” From the Scaffold to the Screen
  • This Week in Pop Culture Roundup (Nov. 5, 2011)
  • A Coen Brothers Movie About Dave Van Ronk?
  • (Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)

    New Coen Brothers Films Trailer: “Inside Llyewn Davis”

    Dave Van Ronk Check out the new trailer for Inside Llyewn Davis, the upcoming film from the Coen brothers. The film about the 1960s folk movement is reportedly roughly based on singer Dave Van Ronk’s book The Mayor of MacDougal Street. The film, which is scheduled to open February 8, features Oscar Isaac in the lead role, and you will see John Goodman in the trailer too. The film also features Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan, and F. Murray Abraham.

    The song playing in the trailer is Bob Dylan’s “Farewell.” Dylan wrote the song in 1963 but it did not appear on any official record releases until 2010 on The Bootleg Series, Vol. 9: The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964.

    What do you think of the trailer for “Inside Llyewn Davis”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • Red Band Trailer for Upcoming Coen Brothers’ Film: “Inside Llewyn Davis”
  • How Does “Inside Llewyn Davis” Rank In the Coen Brothers Canon? (short review)
  • This Week in Pop Culture Roundup (Nov. 5, 2011)
  • A Coen Brothers Movie About Dave Van Ronk?
  • What Is the Murder Ballad That Holly Hunter Sings to Nathan Jr. in “Raising Arizona”?
  • Show Me the Meaning! (Podcast Review)
  • (Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)