Inside Llewyn Davis Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Inside Llewyn Davis Blu-ray Movie Review

Life is a sad song.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 5, 2014

The melancholic Inside Llewyn Davis offers a snapshot of a folk singer's life on the decline. His is a life that seems to have nowhere to go but up though it continues crashing into obstacles and sinking further down into irrelevance both on the musical scene in within the cramped, limiting confines of the existence he calls life. It's a sobering picture accented with light comedy, made from sophisticatedly simple storytelling that caters to nothing but to the story of one man's struggles and realities as he does what he can, when can, and however he can to stay afloat, to do something with his life, to win one single small victory in any segment of his life. The film captures a frequently unsettling but nevertheless captivating tone, a tone that never really escapes from the harshness of reality but that's not quite so bleak as to push the viewer away, even as the picture's base story arc revolves along an endless circle of despair.

Road trip!

Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) is a struggling Folk singer in New York's Greenwich Village, 1961. Formerly part of a duo, he's been forced to go solo after his partner's suicide. His new solo album isn't selling, and he's out of cash. He's barely scraping by and is fortunate to have friends like the Gorfeins (Ethan Phillips and Robin Bartlett), fans who allow him to crash in their cozy Upper West Side abode. When he's leaving their apartment, their orange tabby cat escapes. Llewyn has no choice but to bring the feline with him through the bustling New York streets and to an apartment inhabited by Jim and Jean Berkey (Justin Timberlake and Carey Mulligan) where only more bad news awaits him. As he struggles to keep tabs on the cat, keep cash in his pocket, and find a path to success, his life takes him halfway across the country for a meeting with a music mogul that could make his career or break his spirit. Will Llewyn finally find his footing or will life continue to beat him down?

At its core, Inside Llewyn Davis is a road movie, though it's more a metaphorical road movie than it is a literal road movie, even as there are literal "road" elements within. The film's inner journey is much more satisfying -- satisfying in the context of experiencing art as a reflection of the human condition -- than the outward journey, the latter of which is simply a springboard to further propel the antagonist along his arc. That journey he takes -- one of hope but also doubt, rejection, resentment, anger, frustration, and all sorts of mostly negative emotions -- is one that's often difficult to watch considering the authenticity the Coen brothers inject into the film. Audiences are immediately pulled into Llewyn's world and experience that world as he does, and often for the worse. It's a sad journey through the gritty reality of life, a reality in which there is never enough money, not quite enough talent, nobody to offer that big break, nothing as it should be, and seemingly nothing to be done about it. It's a journey of a man doing his best to remain on the straight and narrow, to take life as it comes, to accept rejection, anger, and frustration without himself resorting to those negative qualities to guide him through the challenges or, worse, to further lower his already ground-scraping bar.

Inside Llewyn Davis is a morbidly fascinating watch on a dramatic level and a beautifully captivating watch on the artistic level. The Coen brothers' artistic vision, brought to life by Bruno Delbonnel's Oscar-nominated cinematography, reinforces the story's rather bleak human themes with a subdued palette and frequently dark, shady, or low-key visuals. The film feels both depressingly hopeless and technically gorgeous at the same time, a representation of the filmmakers' skill at finding a perfect visual harmony for a very imperfect world. The cast is equally excellent. Oscar Isaac shines in the title role, exploring the dark recesses of a hopeless life with incredible mastery of the character, his environment, his prospects, his musical talents, his ambitions, his precious few successes, and his too-numerous-to-count failures. Isaac's command of the character and understanding of the landscape -- the physical landscape around him and the inner landscape that is the revolving door of tragedy in his life -- is truly special, a performance that was unjustly passed over for an Oscar nomination.

Inside Llewyn Davis Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Inside Llewyn Davis' 1080p transfer isn't one that viewers will turn to for color demonstration purposes. It's a somewhat subdued film that frequently favors a shadowy, cold, and gray tone with some splashes of color but nothing too terribly vibrant. The less-than-welcoming palette certainly accentuates the film's darker themes, and the Blu-ray commendably reflects the picture's intended visual tone. Otherwise, the image appears very nicely defined. It's lightly grainy and naturally filmic, providing a beautiful texturing and very accurate details across the board. Facial and clothing textures are very well defined, as are little things around the frame, like well-worn guitars and background city details. Black levels are deep and accurate, particularly evident in the film's bookend scenes. Skin tones are reflective of the film's color scheme. Very light banding appears in a few shots, but the transfer is otherwise a gorgeous one, just as expected of a Sony release.

Inside Llewyn Davis Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Inside Llewyn Davis sports a well-rounded DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The opening musical number plays with near astonishing instrument and vocal clarity. Both smoothly and naturally saturate the soundstage, effectively turning it into a smoky, closed-in New York bar. Some of the more dynamic, involved, and loud musical numbers enjoy a positive flow and robust low end, again pouring into the stage and never relinquishing a beautifully precise presentation. The track doesn't offer much in terms of fully aggressive support pieces. A rumbling train is about as potent as it gets, heavily pushing through the stage with a commendably realistic rattle and strength. Light background din in several locations, notably a busy diner, are nicely implemented and full. Dialogue is a strength and a focal point both; the spoken word plays naturally and smoothly from the center. This is a very well done, accurate, and musically adept soundtrack from Sony.

Inside Llewyn Davis Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Inside Llewyn Davis contains only one supplement. Inside 'Inside Llewyn Davis' (HD, 42:45) features a detailed examination of the story basics, the Folk scene as depicted in the film, Oscar Isaac's musical work in the film, Isacc's acting, the title character's arc, recording the film's music, working with cats, set designs, costumes, photography, and more.

Inside Llewyn Davis Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Inside Llewyn Davis is a terrific film all around, though it's certainly not a film for all audiences. It's deliberately slow and reserved, an inward journey to nowhere that's fascinatingly low key and frequently hopeless. It's beautifully photographed and precisely acted, a true representation of the film medium as a genuine work of art and a sobering commentary on life's struggles embodied in a man who tries his best to make it but never quite seems capable of doing the right thing, impressing the right people, or making the right decision. The film's opening and closing scenes beautifully reinforce the themes and embody the entire story. Sony's Blu-ray release of Inside Llewyn Davis features excellent video and audio. A single lengthy supplement is included. Highly recommended.