Screenplay Review: Inside Llewyn Davis

"You should just walk around always, inside a great big condom. Because you are shit."

         When a director becomes known for a particular style or brand of filmmaking they often run into a big problem: to continue to attempt and deliver said style merely because it is expected and celebrated or whether to allow the material to develop organically. It can be argued that two of the biggest examples out there, Terrence Malick and Quentin Tarantino have regressed to delivering almost parody like showings of their own work.  Joel and Ethan Coen on the other hand have done well to avoid this trap. While it can be argued this is due to their preference for genre, the variety in their work continues to remain fresh. With ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ the Coen Brothers deliver something they have never done before; a straight realism piece.

         Indeed it is almost striking how much the different the presentation here is in comparison to the rest of their body of work. While the Coen Brothers trademark cynicism still is prevalent, gone is their odd ball humor and more importantly or obviously is the condescension towards their main characters. The Coen Brothers love to ask the audience: “Can you see how stupid our characters are? Do you see their mistakes? Laugh at how dumb they are!” Here, they merely present the story of Llewyn, a struggling folk singer who attempts to come to grips with his averageness, with a somber sense of sympathy.  His struggles are not those of exaggerated buffoons done for comedic effect, but rather of an everyday individual trying to make sense of what it all means. Llewyn realizes his opportunity to make a living at his passion is narrowing and he must choose to continue to pursue it or abandon hope for something more stable. Given all this, it wouldn't be a Coen Brothers script if it didn't end with a punch and ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ is no different as the ending is sure to make one look back at everything that happened previously in the film with a whole new perspective.

Screenplay Review: How to Catch a Monster

“Even if you gave it to me, I wouldn’t want to live here. Nobody wants to live here.”

        There seems to be a trend where amateur or first time writers/directors attempt to evoke elements of surrealism in their works. Whether this has to do with the allure of the style during formative years or whether it’s because of the relative ease and lack of accountability when it comes to explanation is to be determined. Popular actor Ryan Gosling falls into this trap as well with his debut screenplay “How to Catch a Monster”.  Think David Lynch’s “Blue Velvet” retold as a coming of age tale set in an unnamed city. All the elements are in play here: the derelict industrial city that plays as the antithesis to the typical American dream, the shady under workings of society where men wear masks and women participate in sexual activities, the unexplained reasons for destruction, the absurdly weird side characters.

       Gosling creates the setting for his main character, a young boy named Bones who yearns for escape, but due to circumstance is seemingly perpetually stuck in the dump that is his city. His few outlets in life include working on his broken down car and fantasizing about a girl he follows, but these pleasures are countered by his mother’s lack of finance and the local bully who terrorizes his life. Ultimately this type of material requires someone who has a strict understanding of the craft and Gosling proves to still be learning. Blatant symbolism with characters literally having names such as BONES, BULLY, RAT, WOLF is riddled throughout the screenplay and little is of worth. In fact the titular monster barely plays at all. In the end it all seems a front for the standard coming of age tale romance so often seen in formulaic romantic comedies or indie dramas. Gosling tries to redeem himself with a strong, action packed climax, but is it enough? We’ll see.