Inside Llewyn Davis on Channel 4

Subject: Inside Llewyn Davis on Channel 4
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 28 Jul 20 - 06:24 AM

I see that Channel 4 ,in UK,are broadcasting Inside Llewyn Davis at 2.40 AM , early morning of Wednesday 29th July. A Coen brothers film depicting the folk scene in 1960’s New York . well worth setting your VCR tonight or using All 4 catch up

Trailer on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQm9SP6579Y&has_verified=1

Subject: RE: Inside Llewyn Davis on Channel 4
From: cnd
Date: 28 Jul 20 - 08:58 AM

Inside Llewyn Davis is an excellent film about an aspiring folk singer. I had the chance to watch it about 3 years ago now, and the movie is enjoyable on multiple levels.

If you want a simple, basic movie to watch and enjoy the story, it does that.
If instead you're looking for a deeper movie which you can analyze, that's easy too.

Subject: RE: Inside Llewyn Davis on Channel 4
From: GUEST,Jerry
Date: 28 Jul 20 - 09:53 AM

I was a bit disappointed in it, because it was rather depressing, compared to the more uplifting Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou? I suppose I’ll give it another go, but it seemed to trade on the notion that if you are a humble folk singer, then you must be a self destructive loser. Or am I missing something?

Subject: RE: Inside Llewyn Davis on Channel 4
From: cnd
Date: 28 Jul 20 - 10:21 AM

It is a fairly bleak movie in terms of the role of a folk singer. The movie is about self-defeat and also the consequences of life, but I think the "a ha" moment is that Llewyn realizes what's happening in the end, and that something will change.

It doesn't exactly have a happy ending, but there's a lot of good symbolism between Davis and the cat, Ulysses. There's always someone there to look after it, even if it is a troublemaker and a victim of lots of its own mistakes. In the end, he decides to leave it with its rightful owners, leaving it "how it should be," so-to-speak. This helps wrap up the film in a way. While refreshing my memory on names in the film, I came across an article from The Atlantic which summarizes the end well: "

"He has been awoken from the dream that he’s an undiscovered genius, and from the erroneous notion that talent exists in a vacuum... He still has to pay the price for his behavior... and he still has a long journey ahead. But Llewyn has reconciled with the cat--learning a name that, like Llewyn says of a beloved folk ballad, 'was never new and won’t get old.' And that makes all the difference."

That means that Llewyn has come to terms with his role in life. Sure, it's not a happy ending, but he's come to realize that his folk-singing passion will in the end really be a side-hobby rather than a long-term job. It's a realistic movie about the life of musicians and how they're overlooked by society, sometimes for their faults and sometimes for reasons beyond their control.

Subject: RE: Inside Llewyn Davis on Channel 4
From: GUEST,Jerry
Date: 28 Jul 20 - 10:49 AM

Thanks for that, which does makes sense. To be fair, the world doesn’t really need any more ‘rags to riches’ musician movies, and most wannabe stars eventually have to come terms with the fact they are ordinary people just keen on music at the end of the day, rather than a yet to be discovered genius.

Subject: RE: Inside Llewyn Davis on Channel 4
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 28 Jul 20 - 11:19 AM

From what I recall of the movie, I don't think I shared the Atlantic's notion of anything especially resembling self-knowledge or redemption on Davis' behalf. Maybe a little bit. I don't recall any particular sense of his life or personality likely to be much different.

It seems like the latter day Coen brothers like to challenge themselves in placing a rather unpleasant, selfish yet intelligent character centre stage and experimenting in how far we can empathise with them (we can't really sympathise with them, they're not really nice enough people for that) as they interact with some people that are even less pleasant, or much nicer (but perhaps a bit dull, over-earnest or a bit stupid). And then quite often subjecting the protagonist to a run of bad luck or humiliations, or ironies of history.

There aren't many storytellers that do that - that will take a not-very-nice, bit lazy, lackadaisical, selfish and ultimately unimportant person as the central character and then just 'see what happens' yet still make it engaging.

Subject: RE: Inside Llewyn Davis on Channel 4
From: GUEST,Jerry
Date: 28 Jul 20 - 03:46 PM

An interesting take there. I think the fact that you can’t easily identify with the lead character is what makes it not as much fun to watch as most of us might initially expect. However, some will find the alternative versions of some of the folk songs of interest, but I can’t say it persuaded me to rush out and buy the soundtrack album.

Subject: RE: Inside Llewyn Davis on Channel 4
From: Helen
Date: 28 Jul 20 - 03:58 PM

Coincidentally, just in the last week here in Oz I turned the TV on and saw the last third of the movie. I had never heard of it and didn't realise that it was a Coen Brothers movie until I looked it up later. Note: I have watched and enjoyed - or if not enjoyed, then appreciated - all of the Coen Brothers' movies that I could find. There are very few that I haven't watched.

Starting 2/3 of the way into it was very confusing. Reading the comments here I am starting to see a bit more of what it was about, so next time it is aired I'll make a point of watching it.

As Jerry said, the alternative versions of the songs I heard did not impress me. In fact, it made me think that anyone who is not into folk music to start with would possibly have their preconceived notions reinforced and would be even more determined not to listen to it.

Thanks for this thread.

Subject: RE: Inside Llewyn Davis on Channel 4
From: gillymor
Date: 29 Jul 20 - 04:32 AM

It did rejuvenate the wonderful "Dink's Song" with a great arrangement including Mumford and The Punch Brothers supporting Issac. While I did enjoy the film enough to watch it a few times I don't think it ranks up there with the Coen brothers best work.

Subject: RE: Inside Llewyn Davis on Channel 4
From: Daniel Kelly
Date: 29 Jul 20 - 04:39 AM

I watched this movie on the way to New York in 2014, while reading 'Mayor of MacDougal Street'. I think the film captured the essence of Van Ronk, and that particular time in New York perfectly.

It is bleak on so many levels and firmly challenges the flower and freedom view of the 60s folk revival.

Motivated me to learn 'green, green rocky road', 'death of queen jane', and 'hang me, oh hang me'.

Subject: RE: Inside Llewyn Davis on Channel 4
From: GUEST,Mark Ross
Date: 29 Jul 20 - 11:30 AM

Don't bother. The apartments are too clean, so are the coffeehouses, and it doesn't look like anyone is having any fun, much less playing music and trading songs at every opportunity. I hit the Village 6 years later than the time that the movie is set in. I got to hang out in the bars with the people that some of the characters in the film are based on.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Inside Llewyn Davis on Channel 4
From: GUEST,Big Al Whittle
Date: 29 Jul 20 - 11:45 AM

Its a wonderful film in many ways. Not sure Lewin could have entertained anyone for five minutes, but it reflected the uneasy relationship between a genuinely working class folksinger like Van Ronk would have had with the commercial world of folk music.

Also it touches on the working class ethic that a professional like   Lewin brought to folk music - constantly working to improve his skill set,(genuinely upset by the sneers of the augmented diminished jazz crowd) as opposed to the 'Grandma Moses in gingham knickers' who bring the skills of the cabin floor to the concert hall and unrealistically expect instant respect.

Sorry I never met Dave, but they say you should never meet your heroes.

Subject: RE: Inside Llewyn Davis on Channel 4
From: Thompson
Date: 29 Jul 20 - 11:47 AM

It seems to me basically a riff on the premise of Incident at Owl Creek. Nice music.