Rating of
4/4
Review: Inside Llewyn Davis
MikePA - wrote on 02/08/14
What a beautiful movie this is. Joel and Ethan Coen's Inside Llewyn Davis is as intimate as it is painfully hilarious. Once you're finished laughing your booty off at Oscar Isaac's character, you'll realize how sorry you feel for him. "You'll laugh until it hurts" never seemed more appropriate. That's the beauty of the Coen Brother's character studies. They established a flawed but insanely likable character, usually portrayed by a top-notch actor, and make you care for them simply by tormenting them.
The film has such profound melancholy hidden beneath its outer layers. What's great about Oscar Isaac's performance is that he rarely ever shows this. Day-in and day-out, Llewyn is basically shat on by everyone and everything, and Oscar Isaac's way of hiding the sadness and frustration and presenting a much calmer, cooler being is absolutely brilliant. You see it, but it's never excessive, which is perfect. The film is sad in all of the right ways.
The Coens abandon mainstream idiocy and turn to a finale that feels much more grounded. Nothing is too cute or sugar coated to the point of un-believability. This ending makes for a more compelling tragedy. Along the way, we're essentially just following Llewyn on his journey to fame. This path has quirkiness, dark comedy, melancholy, atmosphere, and complete strangeness, all of which is presented beautifully, through outstanding cinematography and vibrant performances.
Inside Llewyn Davis exceeds typical audience expectations and presents something much more natural and passionate. This is easily one of 2013's best offerings.
4/4
