Inside Llewyn Davis

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Jack W Under “normal” circumstances, a slice-of-life film about a folk singer is bound to be carried by its soundtrack. In this case, the soundtrack adds to the storyline of following a folk singer with the desire to transcend the limitations of this straitjacketed system. The writing is incredibly sharp and the dialogue is superb—it respects the audience and effectively conveys the story simultaneously. There are lots of themes one can unpack and this is a film about a struggling artist looking for any scrap he can come by, lmao. Now…the Coen Brothers don’t usually incorporate developing shots in their lists (that make the final cut)…and that continues in this film. My assumption is that those decisions are made so the audience can step inside the characters (and, spoiler: it works). They do a nice job of incorporating different shot angles and distances to keep the film flowing rather than dragging—the alternative would be to have intricate film blocking, but such isn’t necessary for a film like this. Not to mention the headliner: the colors. There are zero warm-color shots in this final cut, and that’s a tonally perfect decision. The soundtrack is absolutely impeccable and their choice of making it mostly diegetic makes their occasional non-diegetic sound usage hit that much harder. The way they use fades to black for Llewyn’s POV (in a couple of instances) to depict the psychology of falling asleep/waking up, or dissolves to indicate time passage is impeccable—absolutely sharp cinematic instinct from the Coens that was also seen in a similar fashion in Fargo (SIMILAR). The road trip, as a whole, is also full of great editing. The ONLY thing I’d say is there was a continuity mishap with the first and last scenes, but blink and you’ll miss it, so…~shrugs~ For starters, the cast is sensational. Oscar Isaac puts on an excellent performance with the supporting cast ALSO holding its own—it’s loaded with big names, so that’s to be expected. This story taking place in New York during winter was helpful for the cold camera colors and the film’s themes. New York also feels like the perfect setting for a story like this, and the production team certainly went all out for this endearing aesthetic. full review: https://thevisualfix.substack.com/p/inside-llewyn-davis-2013-film-review Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/10/25 Full Review Simon W Read the reviews - we generally agree with a RT rating, but not this one. Possibly the worst film I've ever seen. Stuck with it to the end, God knows why. 2 hours of my life I can't get back. Very little storyline and who understood the ending? Slow, boring, poor storyline, don't waste your time. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/10/25 Full Review Benjamin H Although the movie does have elements that didn't work for me entirely, Inside Llewyn Davis it is an intelligent, somber and thoughtful film from the Coens that superbly handles its many serious themes with an excellent lead performance by Oscar Isaac. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/23/25 Full Review Buck M This is the Coens in bittersweet mode, a little oblique, a little downbeat, and a little offbeat. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/05/25 Full Review Faiz D I know nothing about the folk music scene in early 1960s New York, yet I found this film engaging, funny, and moving. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/13/25 Full Review Jarvis E The Coens have done it again Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/01/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Inside Llewyn Davis

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