Like Dylan in the Movies, The Coen Brothers with "Inside Llewyn Davis"

Watching the new Coen Brothers movie "Inside Llewyn Davis" is the closest experience I've had to watching my own autobiography since "Ed Wood."  No, I'm not a 1960s folk singer in Greenwich Village.  Or a 1950s horror director.  But both deal with frustrated, down-on-their luck artists, struggling for every penny, and feeling as if they're cursed.  Yet these universal stories of failure and perseverance make great movies, and "Inside Llewyn Davis" is one of the year's best, highlighted by a transcendent actor.

The magnificent Oscar Isaac is a perfect blend of angst and sorrow as the fictional Llewyn Davis.  This is the type of performance that turns actors into movie stars.  I could not recall ever seeing him in a previous role (apparently he co-starred with Ryan Gosling in "Drive"), but he elevates this movie by creating a relatable scoundrel that resembles the best and worst in all of us.

The story takes place during one cold week in the folk singer's life as he:  sleeps on friends' couches, attempts to launch his solo career, rights his wrongs with family and ex-lovers, and cares for a lost cat.  Formerly of the folk duo Timlin and Davis, Llewyn is struggling to overcome the suicide of his partner.  He's had bad luck with women, poor record sales, and only one real job - as a merchant marine.  One ex-girlfriend describes him as King Midas's idiot brother.  

Talented, yet volatile, emotional yet clueless, Llewyn trudges through winter without a coat or home to rest his weary guitar.  The movie starts off as a musical (Mr. Isaac provides his own singing), twists into a road trip (with a cameo by a classic John Goodman jazz addict), and ends on a Kafkaesque puzzle.  Ultimately it's a modern Odyssey (a familiar theme with the Coens), where the point is the journey, not the destination.

"Inside Llewyn Davis" is often funny, but sometimes painful.  Make no mistake, this movie has a dark cloud hanging over it.  Consider the names of the songs featured in the movie:  "Hang Me, Oh Hang Me," "Fare Thee Well," and "The Death of Queen Jane."  Weighty material, but the cast brings them to life by easing into the mood and singing every song in their entirety.  Front and center, and in every scene, is Oscar Isaac's Llewyn Davis.  He suffers and gets knocked down, but bounces right back up again.

Filled with beautiful cinematography, and an extensive playbill of memorable character-actors, the movie evokes both classic album covers and music history.  Practically every character name is a reference to the folk and popular music scene.  It's a fascinating movie that I'm certain will grow richer with repeated viewings.  When it ended, I was willing to spend another two hours in this world.

Credit the Coen Brothers with imagining this original, complex character.  Llewyn Davis's life, and the movie, are both open to interpretation - which is most fitting.  "Inside Llewyn Davis" is best enjoyed over multiple viewings where interpretations can shift and deepen - like a good folk song.

For five underrated Coen Brothers movies CLICK HERE.