The song that got Inside Llewyn Davis stuck in my head was the song that was prominent in the trailer, a rendition of Fare Thee Well (Dink’s Song). The beautiful tune has a powerful presence in the film, as it was one that the titular character and his old partner used to sing together. I like to think that the other vocal part is that of his partner, a voice that haunts his every dream, as a memory of what could have been.

Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) is a man living the dream, or at least that’s what he says. He lives for his music, but he has very little profit to actually show for it. Doing gigs that pay little, and living in the shadow of his older songs with his ex partner, he hopes to hit the big time soon. However, those around him (especially his old girlfriend played by Carey Mulligan) feel he needs to give up the dream and return to reality.

That premise could be the basis for some terrible, hackneyed TV movie. But Ethan and Joel Cohen are much smarter than that; they make this film amazingly depressing and brutal, lacing every line of dialogue with the harshness that is real life. Their directing, which uses desaturated colors to make the background and characters pop, is obviously the work of masters of the art of cinema. To boot, the tale they’re telling is a gripping one, one that shows the lengths people will go to achieve glory. You see, Llewyn dreams to accomplish big things in the world of music are futile, and everybody around him knows it except for the man himself. In an effort to achieve the fame he feels he deserves, nay, need, he’s distancing himself from everything that doesn’t benefit furthering his musical career. In fact, a cat he “adopts” is the only emotional connection he makes with anyone, and even that is a relationship filled with distraught feelings.

Oscar Isaac makes this complex creature one that isn’t loathable, but one that resonates feelings of pity and fascination. What does Llewyn have after all without this music? That question seems to motivate his beautiful performance, as he goes through all kinds of trials and hardships just for the potential of being a major musician. Personifying two aspects of his personality, Lllewyn’s egotisticalness and his emotional distance from other people. John Goodman and Garrett Hedlund, respectively, play some of the films most memorable roles as they reinforce just who Llewyn has become in his quest for tuneful glory. And of course, Justin Timberlake is an unexpectedly superb presence in the film and he gets to sing one of the films best songs (and believe me, there are many great songs for it to contend with).

I’ll be honest; while watching Inside Llewyn Davis, I wasn’t sure of my opinion of it. It seemed to be just overly depressing without any true reason for it. Yet the film’s last thirty minutes just ties it all together in an astounding way, knocking my socks off by making an ending that goes in an unexpectedly brave direction that I’m still bowled over by. Not only does this third act justify and make the rest of the film better, but it also makes the film’s characters and plot that much more compelling. The fact that the Coen Brothers are daring enough to go to such dark and riveting places in their writing is a testament to the their talent and this film. Needless to say, Inside Llewyn Davis is a thoughtful film that sticks with you thanks to it’s unique humor, script and talented roster of actors.