Inside Llewyn Davis

I wonder if CBS, who owns Showtime, as a financial interest in this movie. Besides the 2 hour concert there is a 45 minute Making of.... documentary on Showtime as well.

 

The Coens treat all their characters like this is all their films. Everyone one is usually pushed to an extreme or stereotype. It is their usual style. People are missing the point.

 

According to a quote from Joel Cohen in this month's Uncut, the look is based on the cover of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan LP - [it] 'was the color template for the movie'. If that's the case, from the look of the trailer, they achieved the look they wanted to. Nothing says 'Greenwich Village, early 60's' like that winter street shot.

As to the biographic accuracies, no one says this is based on any single musician. There was an an excellent piece written with the former Mrs. Dave Van Ronk in the Village Voice a few weeks back going over her impressions of the real, and the really made-up, at work in the movie. Well worth reading if you haven't seen it:
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2013/12/dave_van_ronk_inside_llewyn_davis.php

 

Whatever studio is behind this movie has done a terrible job promoting it. A few weeks ago I saw a TV ad that said the movie was playing select cities and would open everywhere on January 10. Then I noticed that on Dec. 25 or 27 it started playing in a couple of area theatres. I meant to see it last weekend but didn't get the opportunity, and now -- one week after opening -- it's down to one or two showings per day (a sign of weak box office). That means that, rather than opening everywhere, it will be gone by next Friday. Just terrible. Let's see if I have a chance to see it tomorrow. Otherwise, it looks like a future DVD rental.

 

National Society of Film Critics just voted this best film of the year.

 

Not that good, in my opinion. Why? Not enough music in the film. The Showtime special was brilliant. This film & its story, not so much. Fairly disappointing.

 

And another award just in. ....

"Inside Llewyn Davis," Joel and Ethan Coen's study of a struggling New York folk singer in 1961, was the big winner Saturday at the National Society of Film Critics. The film received four awards, including best film, actor for Oscar Isaac, director for the siblings and cinematography for Bruno Delbonnel.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...-critics-20140103,0,15271.story#ixzz2pU8U9B7r

 

The awards are all over the place this year. New York critics went for American Hustle, L.A. went for Her and Gravity in a tie.

 

I'm happy about it, this only happens when there are quite a few really good movies to choose from.

 

This film floored me, and I can't stop thinking about it. Sure, the film doesn't have a conventional plot, but it had such a magnetic pull. I was riveted the entire time. When you can't get characters and scenes from a film out of your mind, it's the sign of a great movie.

I purchased the soundtrack as soon as I got home from the theater a few days ago and it has been the only thing I've listened to since. Oscar Isaac's cover of "Green Green Rocky Road" blows me away every time. The guy can REALLY play! I'm no Mumford fan, but the "Fare Thee Well" duet between Isaac and Marcus Mumford is just sublime. Sends shivers up my spine. T-Bone strikes again!

***SPOILER***

So few films do it these days, but the Coens are masters of showing you one thing, making you assume something about what you've seen, then giving you some more context and suddenly your thoughts are completely flipped. The reveal that Goodman's character was a heroin addict was brilliant, and of course, the ending/flashback to the beginning was the Coens at their most clever. That whole final scene had me shivering. Bravo!

 

I loved this film.

It's not about the folk-music scene in Greenwich Village in 1961.

 

But it's promoted like it is. Where is the truth in advertising?

 

Truth in advertising? I wish you luck.

Your issue is with the promotion department not the filmmakers.

 

I bought the soundtrack CD today.
Great versions of the tunes.
If you are a folky, you will love it.

 

I love the Coen Brother films, and can't wait until this movie opens here in Australia on Jan 16.

 

Glad you like it, but anything that has Mumford (or sons) on it, I don't want.
I'm seeing this film next week but 2 things disappoint me;
1 - Mumford on the soundtrack
2 - Timberlake in the movie.

 

I get your point but Justin Timberlake is on it and I still liked it.

 

I would normally agree but both are great. I have the records and lived it before I know that a Mumford was on it. It's still a great album

 

Wait until you hear how many of the songs aren't even in the film...

 

Absolutely. The run from "Tom Dooley" to the aftermath of "Like a Rolling Stone" = a pretty strange trip. Following the commercial success of the Kingston Trio folk groups were manufactured by agents from coast to coast. The Journeymen. Peter, Paul, & Mary. The Chad Mitchell Trio. Thank goodness for The Smothers Brothers. It took the presence of The Beatles and the influence of Dylan's evolution to send the "think ethnic" crowd back to their pre-1958 cabins. Now, where did I put that jug? Is that your Vega long neck over there behind the toilet brush?

 

Agreed. I live near a secondary market, was looking see it and didn't even know it was out. Maybe they thought it would have the kind of buzz "O Brother..." generated. Or maybe they think it'll garner a few awards and bring in back in Spring. But there was more talk about it back in May at its Cannes premiere. They should have at least released in in the Fall....

 

whoa, saw it today. One brutal movie, even by the Coen standards. For me, the dark joke running throughout was these folkies earnestly drawing on the travails of people hundreds of years ago, rather than extrapolating from their own current problems. Dylan addressed that irony, both briefly in the movie and comprehensively in his sweeping away of

Way too much cat, and a rather obvious device to humanize an otherwise fairly insufferable antihero. It's a decent movie, but I can't imagine anyone standing up and cheering at the end.

 

Thanks for that. It's gone here from the theatres where it was playing last weekend, although it appears to have opened in a couple of other theatres. Unfortunately, now it's showing even farther away from me, so it looks like an eventual DVD rental. Oh well. I'm in no big hurry to see it anyway after reading your post.

 

Rats, they really fooled me. I saw it a couple of days ago and thought that I really enjoyed it. Thanks for putting things straight.