As reported back in 2011, the Coen Brothers’ next film centers on an emerging singer-songwriter in New York’s Greenwich Village during the folk boom of the 1960s. In particular, the script is loosely based on The Mayor of MacDougal Street, a posthumously released memoir by Dave Van Ronk — — arguably the scene’s most influential member given his impact on the careers of Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, and others. This week brings our first glimpse at Inside Llewyn Davis, albeit ending just short of revealing the titular character’s musical performance. Starring Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, and John Goodman, the trailer’s dry wit and understated tone recall A Serious Man most of the Coen Brothers oeuvre. While we don’t hear Isaac sing here (they tease him demoing a tune in a scene that would be right at home in Dylan’s memoir, Chronicles: Volume One), his vocal chops have been proven Van Ronk-worthy in other films and live performances. Either way, this is a promising clip, complete with a rare recording of Dylan’s “Farewell” as the soundtrack. Check it out above.
