Each movie that we watch is a little world unto itself. Having said that, some movie makers do a particularly good job at creating worlds with every movie they make. I can think of no other filmmakers who do this better than Joel and Ethan Coen. They always choose distinct settings for their stories, and that lends itself to the creation of worlds. However, they seem to inhabit each little world that they make so well that I always feel that I am being transported to that world.
The world in which "Inside Llewyn Davis" is set is Greenwich village in the early 1960's. Specifically, the folk world of that era is depicted, and Greenwich village was so important to that scene that it is the most obvious place for this story's setting. Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) is a struggling folk singer who has lost is partner to suicide and is having trouble selling his solo album. He spends every night on the couch of friends, family or fans as he attempts to piece a life together. His close friends and colleagues Jim and Jean Berkey (Justin Timberlake and Carey Mulligan) are beginning to meet with some success. However, Jean is pregnant, and is not sure who the father is, since she had been involved with Llewyn. This sets off a chain of events that lead to an almost Ecclesiastes type story. For Llewyn, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
The film is stylized but also quite real. Having spent time in Greenwich village, some of the street were familiar to me. I felt that I was a fly on the wall actually experiencing life as it was in the early 60's. The film is shot with almost a slight sepia tone, so it ends up having a vintage-type look, even though it is a totally modern picture. Since I am a casual fan of the Greenwich scene (I am a big Bob Dylan fan-a man who emerged from the scene in the Village), I was probably able to view the details of the movie with a less critical eye than others. However, as I mentioned above, the distinctness of the setting is important to the movie, and the Coens realize the world very well. The fact that the place wherein the movie is set is a real place with a real history only makes the world more engaging. New York emerges as a major character in the film, and the camera loves the city. The bleak winter is also a major character, and it acts as a catalyst to much of the action.
As Llewyn continues to encounter heartbreak and lack of success, there are some deeper lessons that he learns. However, there is a restlessness to the character that seems to be part of the point. He is an uncompromising artist, and that ends up costing him money and success. And while some movies might glory in that, this movie simply shows an artist who has no success, but dwells almost in the shadow of people like Dylan and Peter Paul and Mary. The movie gives us enough glimpses into Llewyn's life that we ache for some of the losses that he endures, but we also know that his loneliness is self imposed. He is a sort of Vincent Van Gogh of Bleeker Street...the uncompromising, struggling artist who ends up with barely a livelihood.
The Coens have been creating worlds like this for so long that it can be easy to take it for granted. This is a film whose world and details are every bit as real and poignant as those in the Twin Cities ("Fargo" and "Serious Man"), Arizona ("Raising Arizona"), Texas ("Blood Simple"), Mississippi ("O Brother, Where Art Thou?") or any other place the Coens happen to make a film about. They are impressionists with a movie camera and a screenplay, and they capture hints of truth in every world that they depict. They accomplish this through accuracy, humor, exaggeration, and a marvelous investment in the characters they create. Some day they will stop building these little worlds in their sandbox, and we will all be the poorer for it.
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