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    Inside Llewyn Davis

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    WARNING: This review is hidden because it reveals the content of the film.
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    I was tempted to lower the rating to accommodate most audiences, but I feel like the point of reviewing the movie is to validate the amount of stars the movie gets. It is my opinion after all and if you think I'm wrong, then I say I think it's too bad you didn't enjoy the movie like I did. The sad truth is that “Inside Llewyn Davis” is not a film for everyone. If you’re the type of person that only sees a couple movies a year and you’re going inside this one without knowing what you’re getting into or seeing it just because of the critical praise it’s received I really don’t think you’re going to enjoy it and I’ve spoken to several people that have in fact, not. However (and this is a big however) it’s impossible to ignore that technically it’s a very well made film and if you’re a film buff, you will be able to appreciate it for what it is; a well acted, well directed slice of life that isn’t about a grand event or a significant day in the main character’s life, but a story that you can reflect upon and appreciate because of how emotionally effective it is. If you’re open minded enough to accept that, or if you know someone like the main character I can see it being profoundly striking. Keeping that in mind, read on. It’s 1961 and Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) is a struggling folk singer. He’s got a solo record titled “Inside Llewyn Davis” that is not selling, he has no real place to stay so every day is a conflict to find out which friend’s couch he can borrow for the night. He’s got no steady income, no money, no car and no girlfriend. He doesn’t have a decent coat to keep himself warm during the winter the city is currently experiencing. He performs occasionally at cafes or venues, but he dreams of making it big, but while he’s talented, he’s not outstanding. Whatever passion for music and lust for life he used to have is simply dead and he’s become an irresponsible jerk who resents other musicians who are better off than he is. Llewyn nonetheless refuses to reform himself in order to dig his way out of this hole he’s found himself in. The story follows him through a particularly harsh week of his life. When I say that Llewyn is a struggling musician, it’s a polite way of saying that this guy is like a reverse King Midas; everything he touches turns to trash. I’m paraphrasing the movie with that line, but it’s exactly what I was thinking while the movie was playing. It’s like this guy’s lack of passion is infectious and it dragging down all of his friends with him. Early in the story he gets ready to leave the apartment of his elderly friends, sees their cat run out into the corridor and accidentally locks himself out. Since he doesn’t have the key and needs to go through his routine of looking for a new gig and bothering his agent about the lack of album sales, he’s forced to bring the cat around with him and this kind of thing happens over and over. Don’t think that this is a movie about a man who is being dumped on by life though, this is a story about a guy who creates his own problems. His friends are nice and look out for him, but he’s been stuck in a rut for so long that he’s become an annoyance to them and rather than admit that he has a problem, he just moves on to the next couch and avoids any confrontation with his sister or anyone else that tries to have a serious talk with him. So this movie sounds like quite the downer; you’re probably asking yourself why you should see this movie. Well for one, I found that this movie was profoundly insightful about what an artist’s life is like. As an amateur writer and illustrator, I felt like “Inside Llewyn Davis” was the equivalent of Ebeneezer Scrooge’s Ghost of Christmas future. It’s a warning to anyone who is hoping to live out their dreams job where they will earn fame and fortune that if you lose your zeal for the arts and fall out of touch with the reason that drove you to become a musician/artist/sports star/race car driver in the first place, then you shouldn’t aspire to be a big shot superstar and should just be content with living an ordinary, humble life with simple pleasures. Llewyn not only refuses to admit that although he’s good, on his own he is never going to be good enough to be a mega star and in fact looks down on fellow musicians who have “abandoned their dreams” and decided to settle down, get married and have kids. The movie does have a glimpse of hope in the final few minutes, but not necessarily for our protagonist. It’s difficult to explain but keep an eye on the people in the café and if you are good at spotting details and recognizing faces, you’ll know what I mean. This is not a movie for people that just watch movies because they have nothing to do and want to pass the time. This is a story for people who want to experience events and emotions that they might be able to relate to, without having lived them. I’ve been talking pretty much solely about the character Llewyn and the overall mood of the film, but this is a movie that is at times very funny, very sad and very well acted. John Goodman has a fun small role as another musician who’s probably just as much of a mess as Llewyn, if not worse. Justin Timberlake and Carey Mulligan play a couple that have some good chemistry and some very funny exchanges with our protagonist. I’m not sure how many times she called him an “***hole” but it seemed to be every second word and every time I laughed and wholeheartedly agreed. This Coen Brothers film feels very experimental and in a way, it’s very refreshing. If you watch a lot of movies, it’s a way to cleanse your pallet and see something completely different from your standard Hollywood story. It’s going to be a huge wake up call for some people and some people will genuinely love it, myself included. It’s not your typical movie but seeing stuff at the theatre is about escaping from day-to-day life and in this case, you’ll be happy to be able to hop into someone else’s shoes for two hours and then gratefully find that it was only a temporary thing. (Theatrical version on the big screen, January 21, 2014)

    10
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    adamwatchesmovies@  23.1.2014 age: 26-35 2,866 reviews

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