This arthouse drama about an unsuccessful folk singer was surprisingly engaging and felt very close to home. Oscar Isaac’s performance was flawless, both with the acting and the music. He does a great job of portraying a young man who is fighting for his dream, but facing a constant uphill battle while gradually running out of steam to keep going. Slowly, disillusionment and depression are creeping in, and Isaac conveys the whole struggle with piercing accuracy. Most of the supporting cast were very well-chosen, too. It was fun to see Justin Timberlake here, clearly a man of many talents, and Adam Driver was unrecognisable but delivered the best performance I’ve seen out of him yet. The only truly disappointing performance came from Carey Mulligan. Her acting seemed wooden and uninspired, pulling the whole ensemble down in the first half hour of the film.
The script seemed both comically random and slice-of-life realistic at the same time. It felt like watching a normal person struggle, a protagonist on the same level as all of us, with no superpowers, amazing talent or special means. That made me feel all the closer to him. In fact, when Llewyn is finally sitting in front of a potential manager, ready to play something, I could feel his nervousness in myself, and the hope that finally, success would strike.
The production was very well-made. I enjoyed the long shots, the beautifully composed frames with atmospheric lighting and the bleak colour palette. The editing provided an even pace, too. The music – a major part of the film - was good as well.
All in all, a sort of the anti-“Once”. 3/5
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