WORDS Eva Short

The Coen Brothers are known for pairing their films with memorable soundtracks, but their latest venture goes beyond this and allows music to take centre stage. Llewyn (Oscar Isaac) is a pessimistic, couchsurfing hipster struggling to make it on the 60s music scene. His sound, a repertoire of gorgeous and raw folk music, fails to meet the standards of what is marketable. Determined not to “sell-out” by adapting his image or style, Llewyn lives in abject poverty. He aimlessly navigates through life by bouncing between the houses of his more “bourgeois” friends, carrying only a guitar and a rucksack yet still hampered by a heavy heart.

The film is undoubtedly an experience of aesthetic ecstasy. The visuals are saturated in a soft grey and are characterised by striking contrast, such as the headlights of a car penetrating the dark of night, the heavy flurry of white snow against a clouded sky. The music — folk songs sung by the cast, all but one recorded live — is so perfect that it is tempting to close your eyes so as not to distract from it. It is a beautiful movie, but whether it succeeds as a story is a different question. The plot, much like its protagonist, lacks direction. Folk music history unfurls in the peripheries, just barely out of sight, in a way that is both frustrating and tongue-in-cheek thrilling. However, this does not make up for a plot that boils down to a succession of meaningless events. If you are willing to accept this, Inside Llewyn Davis is an immersive and stunning powerhouse of a film.