The Freewheelin' Llewyn Davis

Film night, and it's a joy to sit back and relax in front of the Coen brothers' take on the early Sixties New York folk scene, Inside Llewyn Davis. With a cast of characters loosely based on the notable performers of the time (Llewyn Davis is roughly parallel to Dave Van Ronk, while one of his acquaintances is clearly intended to be a young Tom Paxton, and there's the obligatory glimpse of an emerging Bob Dylan), the story is a familiar tale of what happens when a talented artist struggles to fulfil their potential, and refuses to compromise their ideals to achieve quick success. The Coens set out to strip away any rose-tinted notions of glamour around the Sixties folk scene, portraying a world where money is always in short supply and friendships under constant strain as a result. However, while it's refreshing to see the film stay clear of cloying nostalgia, I can't help but feel their warts-and-all approach may be a bit heavy-handed; most artists of the era insist that even in hard times, a sense of community and generosity remained around the clubs and cafes, and indeed, many archive interviews and recordings from the early Sixties featuring Phil Ochs - who lived a semi-vagrant existence similar to the fictional Llewyn Davis at the time, often performing in return for a hot meal or a couch to sleep on - seem to bear this out, as Ochs seemed ever-cheerful and passionate about his cause, rather than concerned and worried for his future. Sadly, that's perhaps an attitude which would just be too alien for a 21st century audience to relate to.

Nevertheless, as with so many films of its nature, its the soundtrack which clinches it. Several old classics are jumbled up with some dazzling original compositions, and it's a testament to the film's songwriters that they're difficult to distinguish from the authentic songs of the time. And really, regardless of anything that occurs on the screen, that's what folk music is all about.