Inside Llewyn Davis (the Coen brothers, 2013)

The Coens take time out to make a more single-genre film than they have for years, seemingly just to put live music on screen with the story of a hapless and truculent folk singer-guitarist living on the sofas of his acquaintances in early '60s New York. Oscar Isaac, as the feckless eponymous lead, does convince as a musician in a way few actors manage, the support is strong, from Carey Mulligan as Davis's former flame who can no longer stand his aimlessness to John Goodman as a pompously supercilious jazz player, and the creation of the period is as lovingly crafted as ever from the Coens. But it is also a very small story, and how much time you have for it ultimately comes quite largely down to how much self-important folk music you can stomach. A specialist interest, then.

6/10