BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
I am a fan boy of many people, movies, and nerdy things. I’m not a Coen brother’s fan boy. I appreciate their work and love a few of their movies, but I’m not rushing out to see every movie they release. Sometimes, as good as their work clearly is, it’s just not for me. I jokingly have said it was because their landscapes are always to bleak and desert focused. Something about that landscape just knocks the wind out of me and almost lulls me into a undirected daze. They’ve managed to draw me out of this with a few movies like “Raising Arizona”, but the more recent “No Country For Old Men” stuff just didn’t engage me. Sure I watched the movies, appreciated them, and can acknowledge the clear awesomeness. It’s just not stuff I’m excited about. I get the appeal though and respect the Coen brothers fan boy-dom. This all prefaced and said, I really enjoyed “Inside Llewyn Davis”. This movie is a comedy-drama that follows an interesting character around for a short, but important chunk of their life. It’s a lot like “The Big Lebowski” in that respect. We jump into a character’s shoes and life for a few days and then step out of them as they move forward. I suppose this is very general in terms of “storytelling”, but the WAY the brothers Coen pull this off is what’s so special. The movie stars Oscar Isaac, a slacker folk singer, who stumbles through the events of his 1961 New York City lifestyle. His album is not selling, he has no money, and he bounces around from couch to couch of friends, strangers, and anyone he comes across that seems half interesting and giving. During this ride we go with him through his relationships, the stuff he’s keeping to himself, and to Chicago for a little bit for some jazz. It’s a fun ride. It’s a cerebral stumble through a crayon box of colorful characters and waxy exteriors that slowly melt away. If you’re a Coen brother’s fan boy then you should have seen this movie ALREADY. There is a good chance that the people who REALLY get into movies like this have seen this already. It’s the people on the fence I’m talking to. You should see this movie. If you like movies about New York, folk music, the 1960s, independent spirit movies, John Goodman, Justin Timberlake, or just flat out good movies then do yourself a favor. See this movie. There is nothing really bad you could say about this movie. It might not become one of your favorites, but if you don’t appreciate this movie it’s your fault. A
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