Inside Llewyn Davis Review

Grade: C+
One-Liner: Buy the soundtrack, drive in circles, and you've got the same effect.

The opening scene of Inside Llewyn Davis is simple but bewitching, as Llewyn (played by Oscar Isaac in his first major role) strums his guitar and begs his audience to hang him. He is a tortured folk singer, after all.

He leaves the Gaslight Cafe and continues to slum his way through life, hopping from couch to couch, and meeting every dead end possible. His story is as monotonous as everyday life, which seems to be the point.

Though the supporting players in the Coen Brothers' latest work were praised, overly interviewed, and even given SNL hosting gigs, it's Oscar as Llewyn who serves as the only truly developed character. He's a complete bastard who speaks his mind when he should keep his mouth shut, but it's hard not to sympathize with him as he shivers in the dead of winter in New York City's Greenwich Village — just another artist trying to get by in the '60s. Llewyn is the epitome of a struggling musician whose pain radiates through his music.

And because he is the film's only truly developed character, it makes it hard to understand the actions of others — mostly because the majority of their time is spent hating the folk singer. Carey Mulligan's Jean is the worst offender. She practically spits out her animosity toward the man, but apart from occasionally crashing on her couch, it's not entirely clear what he's done to deserve it.

John Goodman, whose role as Roland Turner earned him a major morning show press tour in the month of December and an episode of Saturday Night Live, was thoroughly underwhelming. Minor spoiler: It was not clear if he ended up dead, and frankly my dear, I didn't give a damn.

The music was haunting and beautiful, but dreamy enough to put you to sleep — basically don't go in expecting the next O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. And though Llewyn even traveled to another city, it really felt like he wasn't going anywhere, which, again, could be the point.