"If it was never new, and it never gets old, then it's a folk song."
Llewyn says that twice in the whole film. once at the start and then towards the very end. Between these two occurrences, we have had a journey, or was that just one another day?

Inside Llewyn Davis is a polarising film by the Coen brothers. Their usual fanbase did not expect this. It goes away from their usual work. Inside Llewyn Davis is a story of a struggling folk singer. He is living in times that are probably lost, yet he is clinging to his passion. Does that bring him a lot of happiness? Hardly so. He is in love with the struggle itself.

Succinctly acted and brilliantly filmed, this left a lasting impression on me. Llewyn has the voice and the presence, but he is practising a craft that has fallen on the sidelines of culture and is slowly being forgotten. His puritanical love of the form is not enough. He does not wish to change with times. [spoiler]He had a partner, who committed suicide. He is not out of that shock. He has not processed it yet.[/spoiler]

A lot of people have equated this to the depiction of depression and how Llewyn is unwittingly struggling to come out of the pit which is hard for him to even perceive. Oscar Isaac, who portrays Llewyn, won a well-deserving Gloden Globe for his portrayal of the trapped, tragic titular character. Carey Mulligan has a smaller role but she is at her vulnerable best. I just like her too much. (please go watch Drive)

The cinematography is by Bruno Delbonnel. He has worked before on Amelie, Darkest Hour and even a Harry Potter film. All praise to him for keeping these different movies different. I remember pausing the scenes filmed in The Gaslight Cafe (a real place which operated from 1958 to 1971, notable as a venue for folk music) for the beautiful frames Bruno captures. Tell me what you feel about the lingering smokey haze that almost always exists in all the frames. The passage of time through a long road journey or the passing train stations convey a lot more meaning than anything overtly said.

I have always loved The Eagles so the folk song genre was not new for me. For a movie about the folk singer, the movie takes its music very seriously. Oscar has performed many of the songs himself. Hang Me, Oh Hang Me, Fare Thee Well, and The Death of Queen Jane are especially memorable. As I am typing this, I am listening to the movie soundtrack on repeat. Especially all Oscar's songs embody that melancholy fighting spirit Llewyn holds dear and seldom lets go.

Apart from a personal story, it also talks about the need for patronage artists need in their career. All forms of arts or sports rely heavily on the audiences' backing and support. It also raises an important question regarding should artists go commercial in search of popularity and validation or stay true to their personal dedication towards the form and nature of their craft and refuse to budge even when all support is lost? There are no easy answers to this dilemma.

Inside Llewyn Davis is an experience. It is worth a watch for Oscar's acting, Bruno's cinematography and Dave Van Ronk's enchanting music. The Coen brothers have created a lovely piece of art that will stay relevant for long.