Inside Llewyn Davis

The visionary chroniclers of eccentric Americana Joel and Ethan Coen present one of their greatest creations in Llewyn Davis, a singer barely eking out a living on the peripheries of the flourishing Greenwich Village folk scene of the early sixties. As embodied by Oscar Isaac in a revelatory performance, Llewyn (loosely modeled on the Village folk legend Dave Van Ronk) is extraordinarily talented but also irascible, rude, and self-defeating. His circular odyssey through an unforgiving winter cityscape, evocatively captured by cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, is realized with poignant humor and the occasional surreal touch. Featuring a folk soundtrack curated by T Bone Burnett, INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS reminds us that in the Coens’ world, history isn’t necessarily written by the winners.

Oscar Isaac provides a quietly captivating performance that establishes the center of the film with a blend of deadpan humor, along with vulnerable pain that adds immense emotional depth. His live performances of "Hang Me, Oh Hang Me" and "Fare Thee Well," surpass any line of dialogue by showing an even deeper performance and how he is able to communicate his pain with restraint. Isaac adds layers to a role that is frequently abrasive & unlikable, but somehow never loses the viewer's sympathy. It's a textbook example of subtlety and yet it grounds one of the Coens' most introspective films.