Inside Llewyn Davis 2013
I had heard good things about this movie, but had never seen it before buying it on Blu-ray. It probably would have been better to rent it first, but it isn’t a movie that was so successful that you could go get it at Redbox and I’m not sure Netflix would ever bother. It got some amazing reviews, which sometimes can be a flag. While the Coen brothers are known for outsized characters and zany plots, this is a much quieter piece about a Greenwich Village folk singer in 1961, struggling to make ends meet and maintain his artistic integrity. I was surprised to be about a third of the way through and nothing had happened. I was surprised to be about two thirds of the way through and nothing had happened. And when it was over, it seemed we were right back to the beginning. Along the way there is some nice folk music and Oscar Issac turns in a great performance as Davis, a guy with talent and a self-defeating tendency to be an irresponsible jerk. There are some great side characters as well including one appearance maybe I should have expected. So not a plot really, just a guy’s journey. Or maybe the onset of a journey. I’m still not really sure what I watched. I can see how some would really like this, particularly people looking for something sincere and different, but it just isn’t enough for me. I want a little less befuddlement. Still, it doesn’t fare that badly in 2013, which had to be one of the worst years for movies in a long time.
Written: 04 Nov 2018
Owned on: Blu-ray, Digital