Page 18 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • December 25, 2013 ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ is personal look at folk scene by Dennis Seuling Joel and Ethan Coen are among the quirkiest of main- stream filmmakers. Their films often hit just the right note of bizarreness to offer richly textured characters and odd- ball plots. They definitely march to their own drummer and have, for years, defied traditional thinking about what a feature film should be. Oscar Isaac and Justin Timberlake in ‘Inside Llewyn Davis.’ Their latest film, “Inside Llewyn Davis,” takes place in 1961 and focuses on the Greenwich Village folk music revival that was at its peak before Bob Dylan shook up tra- ditional folk with a new sound, blending blues, folk, and rock. Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) is thoroughly embedded in that scene. Viewers meet him after a partnership has broken up due to tragedy and he has been forced to go solo. Things are not going well. He has no permanent home, and crashes for days at a time with any kind soul who has an empty couch to offer. His frequent gigs at the Gaslight Café have failed to draw critical attention, his solo album is sell- ing poorly, and he has no coat. On top of all of that, he has impregnated his friend’s wife, Jean (Carey Mulligan), and he is responsible for letting the pet cat of one of his hosts escape. Life looks bleak. Llewyn seems locked into a routine that only offers him disappointment, disillusionment, and stagnation. It is as if life is dragging him into an ever-widening abyss. The Coens are not the types to present a completely depressing film, so it is filled with interesting little epi- sodes, colorful characters, and vignettes that capture an early ‘60s vibe. Folk music was sometimes rooted in man’s struggles, but could also be woefully pretentious. Llewyn is serious about his music, but makes a lot of decisions that stunt his career. When he gets a studio gig as second guitarist accompa- nying friend Jim (Justin Timberlake), it is for “Please, Mr. Kennedy,” a dopey novelty song filled with topical refer- ences. The tune is as far from folk music as one can get, but it has an insistent beat and funny lyrics that make it the kind of song that might become a hit. Llewyn looks on this not as a tremendous opportunity, but as a chance to pick up some quick bucks. Labeling Llewyn as self-destructive may be too easy. He is more complex than that, and it is that complexity that keeps him interesting. One of his biggest problems is connecting with an audi- ence. He does not have boyish good looks or on-stage charm. A fellow who crosses his path, Troy Nelson (Stark Sands), is a marked contrast to Llewyn -- self-effacing, handsome, and talented. Llewyn watches opportunities pass him by as others succeed, failing to look within himself to discover the cause. Isaac, a graduate of New York City’s Juilliard School, performs all his own songs and handles the dramatic scenes effectively, despite a fairly skimpy acting resume. His per- formance incorporates arrogance, anger, frustration, dis- dain, bitterness, and resignation. Often in movies, music is heard in pieces so dialogue can be interspersed to keep the pace brisk. “Inside Llewyn Davis” departs from that convention by allowing full songs to be performed. During these performances, the audience (continued on Crossword page)