Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
85%RT Audience Score: 74%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
46 wins & 174 nominations total
Smart, funny, and profoundly melancholy, Inside Llewyn Davis finds the Coen brothers in fine form
Inside Llewyn Davis is like a rollercoaster ride of emotions, but instead of screaming in terror, you’re screaming in frustration at the main character’s terrible decisions. Oscar Isaac’s performance is so good, you’ll want to punch him in the face one minute and then give him a hug the next. The Coen brothers perfectly capture the folk scene of the 60s, and the soundtrack is so good, you’ll be humming “Please Mr. Kennedy” for days. Overall, it’s a movie about the struggles of life, but with a touch of humor and heart.
Production Company(ies)
Communicado Productions, New Zealand Film Commission Avalon, NFU
Distributor
CBS Films
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Medford, Minnesota, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language including some sexual references
Year of Release
2014
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital SDDS Datasat
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 44m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 20, 2013 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 11, 2014
Genre(s)
Drama/Music
Keyword(s)
starring Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, F Murray Abraham, Justin Timberlake, directed by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, written by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, drama, music, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Candice Frederick, Larushka Ivan-Zadeh, Jason Bailey, Alissa Wilkinson, J Hoberman, JM Tyree, Ema Sasic, Victor Pineyro, Rosa Parra, Dustin Chang, Richard Crouse, produced by Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, MPAA rating R, folk singer, New York City, Greenwich Village, Chicago club, music mogul, guitar, insurmountable obstacles, kindness of friends and strangers, odyssey, crossroads, success, fine form, smart, funny, profoundly melancholy, Coen brothers
Worldwide gross: $32,960,249
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $41,191,980
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,426
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 4,492,037
US/Canada gross: $13,235,319
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $16,540,803
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,467
US/Canada opening weekend: $405,411
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $506,661
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,401
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $11,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $13,747,219
Production budget ranking: 1,546
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $7,402,878
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $20,041,883
ROI to date (est.): 95%
ROI ranking: 958
Carey Mulligan – Jean
John Goodman – Roland Turner
Garrett Hedlund – Johnny Five
F. Murray Abraham – Bud Grossman
Justin Timberlake – Jim
Joel Coen – Director, Writer
Ethan Coen – Director, Writer
Scott Rudin – Producer
Director(s)
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Writer(s)
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Producer(s)
Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Film Festivals
Cannes, Telluride
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
46 wins & 174 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (289) | Top Critics (77) | Fresh (266) | Rotten (23)
… the pretentiousness is overwhelming, which is unfortunate because the outline has potential to be a great Coen brothers film but ultimately becomes weighed down by its own emotions.
September 6, 2017 | Rating: C+
Candice Frederick
Reel Talk Online
TOP CRITIC
The direction is pitch-perfect; the characters unique and eccentric yet fully realised and the script, woven with absurdist comedy, a marvel
September 6, 2017 | Rating: 5/5
Larushka Ivan-Zadeh
metro.co.uk
TOP CRITIC
They beautifully and convincingly recreate the streets and coffee shops where he dwells, and seem intoxicated with the look and feel of those surroundings.
June 19, 2016
Jason Bailey
Flavorwire
TOP CRITIC
Inside Llewyn Davis is a darkly funny film that recreates the texture of the Greenwich Village folk scene in 1961, and for those of us who love the Coens’ meandering storytelling style, it’s a masterpiece.
April 13, 2016 | Rating: 4/4
Alissa Wilkinson
Christianity Today
TOP CRITIC
Isaac’s folk-singing Llewyn Davis may be an arrogant loser and the butt of a cosmic joke but he’s something more than a cartoon. So is the movie …
December 31, 2015
J. Hoberman
Tablet
TOP CRITIC
Where O Brother’s picaresque was all sepia, bluegrass, hayseed slapstick and family reunion, this film offers a stringent voyage of overcast skies, melancholy folk, soured relationships and no direction home.
February 6, 2014
JM Tyree
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
Enough can’t be said about Isaac’s performance in this film. He perfectly captures the asshole personality and really makes you hate him, but then when it’s time to perform a song, he looks deep into your eyes and melts your heart.
June 21, 2022 | Rating: 9/10
Ema Sasic
Next Best Picture
The characters are written neatly and Oscar Isaac is a master at his work. Inside Llewyn Davis is a movie about the pains of life, and how for must of us it just doesn’t work out as we thought, yet there’s beauty in it. [Full review in Spanish]
June 16, 2022 | Rating: 8/10
Victor Pineyro
Seventh Art Studio
Isaac’s performance is superb as the complex musician.
November 20, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
Rosa Parra
Latinx Lens
OK. I won’t call the Coens movies souless anymore.
February 24, 2021
Dustin Chang
Floating World
A fictional look at the vibrant Greenwich Village folk scene but this isn’t a history, it’s a feel. It gives us an under-the-covers look at struggles and naked ambition it takes to get noticed.
February 1, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
Richard Crouse
Richard Crouse
It’s not until almost halfway through that the odd occurrences and even stranger characters begin to surface.
December 3, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins…
Plot
In 1961 New York City, struggling folk singer Llewyn Davis embarks on a journey to make a name for himself in the music world, facing obstacles and relying on the kindness of friends and strangers along the way.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features a standout performance from Oscar Isaac as the titular character.
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