Inside Llewyn Davis is an enjoyable movie—dare I say, an easy movie. After the other movies I’ve seen this season, it was a nice change.
Don’t get me wrong: this isn’t a pretty movie or a happy movie. But it’s basic. It’s also basic done very well. It doesn’t have a grand statement on life; the commentary instead comes as more of a quiet chat over a warm cup of tea that’s just a bit too strong, sitting inside looking out at a rainy day—a chat about getting by through ups and downs, about disappointment and loss and the tiniest sliver of hope.
The film reeks with melancholy, without a doubt, as the lead character’s life is at a point where things are going to change—we hope—and you can almost feel in the air the thickness of the anticipation to find out if he continues this random path of depression or if a break will come, and what seems right will win out. At the same time, a gentle tug asks, “But should he win? Is he nice? Why do we want his outcome to be happy?”
Deep bitterness also lies in the story. Carey Mulligan is so very different in this role of Jean than other roles that come to mind when I think of her. Jean is a very angry woman, and Mulligan portrayed the character’s rut and hope to climb out of her own messy makings particularly well. (Jean gives a good race to the characters from the Wolf of Wall Street with her language.)
The music, of course, provides a most fabulous background. John Goodman as always rocks his supporting role; that man brings more to small parts than most do to leading roles in blockbuster flicks. And the step back into the 60s seemed new to me; I realized after that this was because neither war nor race issues were at the forefront of the story. As important as those things are to the time period, other issues of life continued around, amid, and in spite of them.
As I said, Inside Llewyn Davis is an enjoyable movie. It’s a very good movie. Just don’t expect butterflies and rainbows.