Oscar Isaac has become known for his work in countless franchises, but he delivered one of the greatest performances of his career in a much smaller film: Inside Llewyn Davis. Directed by the Coen brothers, the black comedy/musical drama was the winner of the Grand Prix at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. The film followed the titular Llewyn Davis, a struggling New York folk singer in the year 1961. Llewyn was not someone who lived paycheck to paycheck, rather, he was someone who spent his nights on friends’ couches.
The Coen brothers were behind many classics such as The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, True Grit, and Fargo. Yet, despite receiving positive reviews, Inside Llewyn Davis only managed to garner a small following. The film was beautiful and melancholic, but also refreshingly honest. Here’s why Inside Llewyn Davis was one of the best movies of the 2010s.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
The Rare Story About the Guy That Doesn’t Make It
CBS Films
For the past few decades, audiences have been bombarded with stories about underdog musicians chasing their dreams. Llewyn was a man pursuing his own, but unlike others, never quite made it. His solo album did not find a large audience and never brought him financial success. This kind of story has rarely been told in a modern film, where everything has typically eventually fallen into place. Inside Llewyn Davis, in contrast, was brave enough to assert that not every dream comes true or can come true.
At the same time, Llewyn was a man who sabotaged his own chances of success. The film depicted its protagonist repeating the same mistakes, including getting involved in an affair and closing himself off from new opportunities. Davis lost out on significant royalties after taking an instant pay-out, ignored a chance to be part of his daughter’s life, rejected an offer to become part of a trio due to wanting to remain a solo artist, and threw out belongings without considering his need for them in the future. With every mistake that he made, Davis had to play catch-up, getting himself out of less than ideal situations.
A Look Into What It Means to Truly Be an Artist
Towards the end of the film, Llewyn watched as Bob Dylan performed at the Gaslight, during the year the real-life Dylan signed his first recording contract. While Dylan went on to receive recognition as the “greatest songwriter of all time” (via Rolling Stone), the film implied that Llewyn would continue to struggle. In 1961, the same year in which Inside Llewyn Davis was set, Dylan was mentored by folk singer Dave Van Ronk. Van Ronk recorded an album titled Inside Dave Van Ronk and wrote an autobiography titled The Mayor of MacDougal Street, which were key inspirations behind the story of Inside Llewyn Davis.
Like Llewyn, Van Ronk was a folk singer in Greenwich Village. Van Ronk had been in the right place at the right time, but he seemingly did not have the same “magic” or “luck” that Dylan did (via The Guardian). After Van Ronk had made the song “The House of the Rising Sun” his own, Dylan learned the song from him and used it for his debut album without receiving permission. Another version of the song was recorded by The Animals, hitting No. 1 on the US singles chart, but Van Ronk never received proper credit. In his memoir, Van Ronk revealed he wished he had quit music, but he continued to play in Greenwich Village until his death.
Llewyn was not a fictional stand-in for Van Ronk, but they both had stories about possibly not being the right person for the times. That didn’t mean someone like Llewyn wasn’t talented, but as far as the film showed, he wasn’t exactly profitable. Llewyn wanted to be authentic and refused to compromise, but he also wanted commercial success. Of course, there are other ways of defining success beyond simply what sells, which perhaps he could have looked more at. Inside Llewyn Davis has been interpreted in many different ways, but no matter the interpretation, it was a thoughtful exploration into a human being’s relationship with their art.
One of Oscar Isaac’s Best Performances
The character of Llewyn Davis was remarkably human, full of both great qualities and flaws, and required a skilled actor to bring him to life. Isaac was perfect casting, giving his all to the role while bringing his prior music background. Some of the standout songs in the film were “Fare Thee Well (Dink’s Song)” (featuring Marcus Mumford) and a cover of “Hang Me, Oh Hang Me” (a song that Van Ronk used to sing). Isaac was an experienced guitarist and singer beforehand, having a soft spot in his heart for folk music. That love for music translated into his performance, which was needed to convincingly play Llewyn. After all, there was no way Llewyn would put himself through what he went through unless he desperately wanted to be a musician.
Isaac was able to convey all of the character’s stubbornness, passion, and idealism. The actor has no doubt been recognized more for his work in Dune, Star Wars, Ex Machina, and Scenes from a Marriage, but Inside Llewyn Davis has remained one of his greatest performances to date. Llewyn was a breakout role for Isaac, and it’s not hard to see why. Rarely has a fictional character felt this real or been allowed to struggle this much in their artistic endeavors.
Inside Llewyn Davis’ Amazing Ending
Inside Llewyn Davis ended in the same way that it began. At the beginning of the film, he was beaten up in a dark alley after playing at The Gaslight Cafe. The same events transpired at the end of the film, recontextualizing the film’s events as being part of a circular loop. Llewyn has previously been compared to Sisyphus, who was doomed to watching a boulder roll down every time he pushed it up a hill. Inside Llewyn Davis was not a time-travel movie, but its ending caused viewers to look deeper into the titular character, and encouraged repeat viewings.
