Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Directed by: Joel and Ethan Coen
Country: USA

Movie Review: Near-perfect and Cannes’ winner, “Inside Llewyn Davis” brings the story of a homeless folk musician who struggles to survive in Greenwich Village, New York, in the early 60’s. Everything is complicated in Llewyn’s life, and is not just the fact of being broke. People don’t seem to take his work seriously, he lost his friend’s cat, and Jane, one of his married best friends, is pregnant of his child. Every Llewyn’s attempt to get his life straight was felt deeply, along with every search for a decent opportunity and the eagerness of being recognized by his music. The mild soundtrack sometimes creates the illusion of an untroubled atmosphere, however every minute carries a touching sadness and shows a prolonged tiredness that is evident in the main character’s look. Coen brothers had the ability of never falling in sentimentalism or futile scenes to tell their story, so naturally powerful and without artificial elements added. It was amazing how the humor came off so spontaneously, even associated to situations loaded with grief. Oscar Isaac gave his best performance so far, superiorly backed up by the brief, yet significant, appearances of John Goodman and Carey Mulligan. Folk songs are not for my particular taste, but I bow to Coens’ artistry, well grounded by Bruno Delbonnel's luminous cinematography (“Amélie”, “A Very Long Engagement”). As Llewyn stated after playing his folk song: ‘It’s never new, and never gets older’. The same definition applies to this remarkable film.