Cannes Report: The Coens and Dutch gallows humour

Cannes Report: The Coens and Dutch gallows humour

The hottest ticket in Cannes over the weekend is, surprisingly, a pre-Bob Dylan tale of a struggling folk singer steeped in his own hilarious myth: "Inside Llewyn Davis" is the new film by Joel and Ethan Coen starring Oscar Isaac as the title character, with the supporting act by Carey Mulligan (redeeming herself quite nicely from the nonsense of "The Great Gatsby", which opened Cannes last Wednesday) and Justin Timberlake, among others.


Llewyn Davis

This is the most enjoyable film from the prank-loving, sometimes condescending Coen brothers, who are back in the Cannes' Competition for the first time since "No Country for Old Man".

 "Inside Llewyn Davis" is full of soulful, heartfelt folk music and a lively recreation of the early 1960s New York's Lower East Side. Based on the real-life cash-strapped singer Dave Van Ronk, the Llewyn character is a charismatic idealist who believes in the authenticity of folk ballads and who happily lives hand-to-mouth, a voluntary homeless/wanderer among his friends' couches.

Playing non-paid gigs in bars, Llewyn the bumbling free-spirit comes alive – and Isaac does a handsome job here – every time he picks up his guitar and sings his simple, sincere tunes, and the film lets us hear many songs in full, and sometimes we wish "Inside Llewyn Davis" could do away with the narrative and transform into a full-fledged music film.

What makes it so good is how the Coens hide their seriousness beneath the playful, relaxed, and loose structure of the film. It does not give the impression that they are trying too hard – the attribute that made some of their previous films, including the much-acclaimed "No Country For Old Men", annoying and smart-alecky. The young cast is a big boost: Isaac as Llewyn is immensely watchable, while Mulligan is delectably, royally bitchy. The movie may not possess the gravity to win the Palme d’Or next Sunday, but it has become a clear crowd favourite of the festival.

And briefly on a surprise hit among critics: The Dutch black comedy (which grows blacker and blacker as the narrative progresses) called "Borgman" has emerged as the festival’s joker, winning grins and laughter and, who knows, a shot at some prizes. With a whiff of Micheal Hanake's "Funny Games" and – this is a stretch – Renoir's "Boudu Saved from Drowning", this film in the main Competition is a cheeky shot at bourgeois-bashing as the obscenely rich get their deserved punishment.

Borgman of the title is the leader of an anarchic, comical and homicidal gang of people who infiltrate the home of a wealthy family and cause a chain of bizarre incidents. With most explanations withheld, the film cruises on its well-kept mystery and gallows humour – and on our sense of satisfaction at seeing arrogant (and white) middle-class getting their due. The politics in "Borgman" is transparent and somewhat cheap, but there is no denying that it is so funny you are ready to take it at face value. It surely makes Cannes quite interesting at the mid-way mark.

Cannes Film Festival runs until this Sunday, May 26.  We will feature more reports and interviews in the coming days.

Kong Rithdee

Bangkok Post columnist

Kong Rithdee is a Bangkok Post columnist. He has written about films for 18 years with the Bangkok Post and other publications, and is one of the most prominent writers on cinema in the region.

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