The Coen Brothers almost never disappoint; even their worst films have some excellent points, performances, moments. Luckily, in recent years we’ve been given a string of truly great films from the duo. If the trailers for their latest film Inside Llewyn Davis are any indication, then that string shall remain unbroken.
Inside Llewyn Davis follows the story of a struggling folk musician, played by Oscar Isaac, in 60s Greenwich Village. It’s based on the real-life musician Dave Van Ronk, an important and influential figure in the folk music scene nicknamed the ‘Mayor of MacDougal Street.’ The rest of the truly spectacular cast includes Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, and Adam Driver, most of whom show up in this trailer.
While Inside Llewyn Davis feels like a more subdued film for the Coens, there are already edges of dry humor visible. We get a basic overview of the plot and an introduction to the many different characters to pass across Davis’s life as he wanders the streets with his guitar and cat. It’s an atmospheric and gently intimate trailer, and certainly makes me want to see the film. The color palate is all greys and browns, but it doesn’t feel like it’s going to be a particularly depressive sort of film. It feels, actually, quite contemporary yet also true to the time period. The music, meanwhile, has T-Bone Burnett producing alongside Marcus Mumford (of Mumford & Sons). From what little we get here, the sounds are just gorgeous.
Inside Llewyn Davis was an official selection at Cannes and it has generated some really positive buzz since it premiered there. It was picked up by CBS Films and currently has a December 6th release date. This is definitely one to watch out for.
You can check out the trailer below and let us know what you think about the latest from the Coen Brothers in the comments.
