Page 28 - Film
P. 28
THE TIMES ®
AUSTRALIA
for an unsuccessful audition. One of the joys of the They are framed in tight close-up shots as caricatures.
flm is not merely watching its bizarre journey unfold The people he meets, including his sister, his father, a
but thinking about its dramatic intentions long music manager and a conservative jazz musician, are
afterwards. angry, rude, or dismissive. Additionally, the flm is in
many ways an anti-love story. Llewyn’s story evades
Most Hollywood flms provide a character arc, where the derivative collection of Hollywood flms about
someone undergoes a transformation that makes male friendship by becoming a cautionary tale of how
them into a kinder, gentler person. Redemption entrapping memories can be. Llewyn’s persistence
awaits when they overcome their faws. Dallas Buyers with beautiful but grim songs (“Hang me, Oh Hang
Club (2013), nominated for several top awards, me”) with lyrics such as “life ain’t worth living without
disregards entire facts to rigidly follow this template. the one you love” and his deterrence to join a singing
Refreshingly, Llewyn Davis is not one of these group are an expression of his grief for his singing
characters. The flm is about his emotional and artistic partner. But with new unparalleled talent emerging
defance and his resistance to any form of change. He (Bob Dylan is a passing fgure late in the flm) he faces
makes light of anyone who asks him to think about the the impossible tasks of preserving his artistic goals.
future, dismissing it as being a world with fying cars
and hotels on the moon. Deja vu is a recurring motif What is lasting about the flm is that unlike almost all
throughout the flm as shown through multiple stray of the other Best Picture nominees, some of which
cats that Llewyn can’t look after. Reoccurrences and are two and a half hours or longer, the interpretations
uncanniness are part of the flm’s belief that people of Llewyn Davis seem infnite and its mysteries
can have multiple chances to change their life and are deeper. Its visual detail, crass unchanging
their fate but makes the personal choice to remain and unsentimental lead character and haunting
in an emotional stasis. Jean, the married woman he is musical lyrics are amongst its many qualities and
sleeping with, tells him the same things are going to deserved to be celebrated regardless of slender box
happen to him because he does not want to change. ofce takings. Perhaps the flm’s snub is part of the
By the end of the flm, and its looping, bookend pleasure of watching and anticipating the Oscars: the
structure, we’re still unsure about Llewyn’s future and uncertainty and the unpredictability that comes with
attitude. awaiting the announcement of the nominations.
Along with the Coen brothers there were several
If the flm had a longer title it would be called “Inside other nominees that were ignored and could have
[The Head Of] Llewyn Davis” because of how the chosen over more experienced actors, including
title character internally views the world and people Brie Larson (Short Term 12 ), Shailene Woodley (The
around him. The flm is shot in a monochrome colour Spectacular Now ) and Adele Exarchopoulos (Blue is
scheme and with dark shadows. Its spaces are mostly the Warmest Colour ). Both Scarlett Johansson and
tight corridors and long roads. A crucial audition Joaquin Phoenix could also have been nominated
takes place in an unfatteringly dour Chicago, which for their work in Spike Jonze’s sci-f romance Her
is designed as cold, grey and deathly, true to the too. We are disappointed by the Oscars for the very
viewpoint of Llewyn. Similarly, Llewyn’s perspective same reason that we’ll continue to watch them year
is narrow, focused exclusively on his career path. He after year: we care enough about cinema to continue
hates most people and sees them singularly. Everyone waiting in anticipation.
around him is viewed as a shadow of themselves.
28 Independent Media Inspiring Minds
AUSTRALIA
for an unsuccessful audition. One of the joys of the They are framed in tight close-up shots as caricatures.
flm is not merely watching its bizarre journey unfold The people he meets, including his sister, his father, a
but thinking about its dramatic intentions long music manager and a conservative jazz musician, are
afterwards. angry, rude, or dismissive. Additionally, the flm is in
many ways an anti-love story. Llewyn’s story evades
Most Hollywood flms provide a character arc, where the derivative collection of Hollywood flms about
someone undergoes a transformation that makes male friendship by becoming a cautionary tale of how
them into a kinder, gentler person. Redemption entrapping memories can be. Llewyn’s persistence
awaits when they overcome their faws. Dallas Buyers with beautiful but grim songs (“Hang me, Oh Hang
Club (2013), nominated for several top awards, me”) with lyrics such as “life ain’t worth living without
disregards entire facts to rigidly follow this template. the one you love” and his deterrence to join a singing
Refreshingly, Llewyn Davis is not one of these group are an expression of his grief for his singing
characters. The flm is about his emotional and artistic partner. But with new unparalleled talent emerging
defance and his resistance to any form of change. He (Bob Dylan is a passing fgure late in the flm) he faces
makes light of anyone who asks him to think about the the impossible tasks of preserving his artistic goals.
future, dismissing it as being a world with fying cars
and hotels on the moon. Deja vu is a recurring motif What is lasting about the flm is that unlike almost all
throughout the flm as shown through multiple stray of the other Best Picture nominees, some of which
cats that Llewyn can’t look after. Reoccurrences and are two and a half hours or longer, the interpretations
uncanniness are part of the flm’s belief that people of Llewyn Davis seem infnite and its mysteries
can have multiple chances to change their life and are deeper. Its visual detail, crass unchanging
their fate but makes the personal choice to remain and unsentimental lead character and haunting
in an emotional stasis. Jean, the married woman he is musical lyrics are amongst its many qualities and
sleeping with, tells him the same things are going to deserved to be celebrated regardless of slender box
happen to him because he does not want to change. ofce takings. Perhaps the flm’s snub is part of the
By the end of the flm, and its looping, bookend pleasure of watching and anticipating the Oscars: the
structure, we’re still unsure about Llewyn’s future and uncertainty and the unpredictability that comes with
attitude. awaiting the announcement of the nominations.
Along with the Coen brothers there were several
If the flm had a longer title it would be called “Inside other nominees that were ignored and could have
[The Head Of] Llewyn Davis” because of how the chosen over more experienced actors, including
title character internally views the world and people Brie Larson (Short Term 12 ), Shailene Woodley (The
around him. The flm is shot in a monochrome colour Spectacular Now ) and Adele Exarchopoulos (Blue is
scheme and with dark shadows. Its spaces are mostly the Warmest Colour ). Both Scarlett Johansson and
tight corridors and long roads. A crucial audition Joaquin Phoenix could also have been nominated
takes place in an unfatteringly dour Chicago, which for their work in Spike Jonze’s sci-f romance Her
is designed as cold, grey and deathly, true to the too. We are disappointed by the Oscars for the very
viewpoint of Llewyn. Similarly, Llewyn’s perspective same reason that we’ll continue to watch them year
is narrow, focused exclusively on his career path. He after year: we care enough about cinema to continue
hates most people and sees them singularly. Everyone waiting in anticipation.
around him is viewed as a shadow of themselves.
28 Independent Media Inspiring Minds
