#6 INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS

#6 INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS

Written and Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen 105 minutes

Word of warning, despite the title, this isn't a porno.

Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan,  John Goodman, Justin Timberlake star in the Coen brother's 17th film as writer/directors. Set in the early 1960's, it's the story of a struggling folk singer,  (Oscar Isaac), told over a week of his life as he stumbles from couch to couch, cat to cat, folk-song to folk-song and New York to Chicago.

Played by Oscar Isaac, Llewyn Davis is a pitiful creation blessed with the voice of an angel. The surviving member of a duo, whose partner committed suicide by jumping off the wrong bridge, Llewyn Davis, is a shaggy bearded, ex-merchant seaman, lugging his guitar and a cat all over town,  getting into petty fights, insulting potential bar owners and desperately searching for a lucky break and a paying gig, despite having two albums under his belt.

And that's the plot in a nutshell, bar one car journey to Chicago and the forementioned cat nothing of any real merit happens in the film and yet it doesn't matter. The Coens prove yet again some films don't need a plot, that the journey is far more interesting than the destination, that a brilliant cast, a sublime script, some beautiful cinematography and a slew of folk songs is more than enough to carry a film.

I have to say that I loved this film, despite the utter lack of plot and the fact that nothing really happens, I was swept away by the music, enthralled by the performances and completely won over by Oscar Isaac, plus it has a very thick vein of black humour running deep through the proceedings.

I think I've been spoiled so far this year by only having seen one meh film and I can't help thinking that my luck can't hold but until then, this is another 9/10 from me.