The Coen Brothers Say They Are Working On A New, Music-Based Film Not Being Written For Usual Repertory Company Of Actors
Source: modage wrote this
Last night at the opening of Film Society of Lincoln Center's beautiful new facility, the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, we were fortunate enough to catch a conversation between the filmmakers and mutual admirers, the Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan and Noah Baumbach. The theme of the evening was film openings and the trio picked a grouping of their film intros and discussed the who, what, where, when, hows and why of their selected filmography (strangely enough the Coens elected to skip by one of the greatest film openings ever, the eleven minute opening of "Raising Arizona"). During their discussion the sibling filmmakers began discussing their upcoming project when an audience member brought up a quote from nearly 20 years ago when the duo apparently said they would never be interested in a musical because they found playback (having the actors lip sync to prerecorded music) to be tedious and cumbersome. The duo not only didn't recall saying this—which they apparently had during the "Miller's Crossing" premiere at the New York Film Festival—but having done a lot of music for "O' Brother Where Art Thou," no longer believed this to be the case. The audience member speculated that it might have been during the USO scene in "Barton Fink" which they were filming at the time, but they shot that notion down as well. In doing so, they also revealed some small details of the next project they're working on which sounds like a music-based offering. Ethan: That's funny, I don't remember playback being especially vexed in the USO scene. "O' Brother Where Art Thou" had a lot of music in it, which was a mix of everything from live performance, I mean on camera performance and a lot of playback and it's funny we said that. Joel: I actually don't remember saying that or why we may have said it. There are certain cumbersome aspects of production that you get used to. We used quite a bit of playback on 'O' Brother'. Noah: And you're working on a movie now that has quite a bit of music in it. Joel: Yeah, but I don't know that it will have any playback. Ethan: Yeah, it will be mostly live I think. Joel: We're working on a movie now that has music in it but it's pretty much all performed live, single instrument so it's hard to tell. Ethan also suggested their new film was "kind of like 'Margot At The Wedding,' " Baumbach's 2007 film, in which during the immediate opening of the film, the audience is just dropped into a scene already in progress without any setup or establishing shots or narration to let them know what's going on. He then joked of the project that it might be more up Baumbach's alley saying, "Noah should be doing it, we shouldn't." Later on the brothers suggested this again. "Our LA is very filtered, you can see how we think about it, we have Raymond Chandler and that kind of story where your LA is very real," Ethan said discussing the city featured both in "The Big Lebowski" and in Baumbach's "Greenberg." "Something we would never do, although again the [film] we're about to do you should be doing." The brothers brought up this new project even once more which shed slightly more light on their approach to it casting-wise. Joel said, "In adaptations that we've done, even if we have ended up using the same actors, they have, generally speaking, been written because the characters are presented to you in an adaptation. So they're written without regard to who's necessarily going to play them, from our point of view. But in stories that we're coming up with ourselves it's frequently the case that we write for specific people although I have to say, the [musical] thing we're doing now, we're not writing specifically for any of the parts which is unusual for us." And that was it, no titles were given, no other details, but it does sound like a project similar to "A Serious Man" in the way that it's an original film not being envisioned for any star actors at the moment. It also sounds like this is a brand new project and not one of the many fabled projects that the duo will never end up making (their "Barton Fink" sequel,"Old Fink," or a Jesus-led "Lebowski" spinoff). This would also rule out adaptations like their screenplay for the remake of "Gambit," their adaptation of "The Yiddish Policeman's Union," or older projects "Suburbicon" and "Hail Casear" both of which were earmarked for their frequent leading man, George Clooney. It's also definitely not their "horror film" which was being written with Joel's wife, Frances McDormand in mind for "the monster." Will it be their next film? We assume so. Aside from say, "To The White Sea" (another project that will probably stay in their past), the Coens have pretty much gotten their way for the last twenty years in that, whatever they started writing, eventually would become their next film. We tried to accost the brothers afterwards, but both them and Baumbach seemed to have friends and family around and digging for more seemed inappropriate. More details will hopefully emerge soon.
A recap from this fascinating conversation will be forthcoming. FYI, if you live in New York and or are visiting this weekend, the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center is putting on some amazing free events that include guests like Mike Nichols, Jason Reitman, Oliver Stone and more.
paragraph break maybe?
lolz
The Playlist needs to make Xixax their official proofreader.
Why? I have paragraph breaks!
Okay, you're off the hook. But the rest of the site is on notice!
The Coen Bros. have an urge for going to the New York folk scene
Source: Los Angeles Times
EXCLUSIVE: The Coen Bros. told an audience at New York's Lincoln Center earlier this month that they were working on a music-related film, but didn't offer any specifics. Now a clearer picture is emerging on the subject of that movie: the Greenwich Village folk scene seen through the eyes of its larger-than-life patriarch.
The Coen Bros. are working on a script that's loosely based on the life of Dave van Ronk, said a source who was briefed on the project but who declined to be identified because he was not authorized to speak on the filmmakers' behalf. Van Ronk is a legendary musician who presided over New York city's iconoclastic coffeehouse period of the mid-20th century, The musician, who died in 2002, was known as the uncle of the coffeehouse scene, a big personality famed for his musical acumen, left-wing politics, general erudition and entertaining storytelling. On his watch, era-defining musicians such as Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell were discovered and cultivated. Van Ronk also was a noted blues guitarist in his own right. A spokeswoman for the Coens did not immediately have a comment on her clients' behalf.
Van Ronk, who died in 2002 at the age of 66, published a posthumous memoir three years later titled "The Mayor of MacDougal Street" which a collaborator helped collate. The source said the Coens are drawing in part from material in the book. The Greenwich Village figure, a noted supporter of progressive causes, was also arrested during the neighborhood's famous Stonewall Riots, an event that gives a van Ronk movie a certain relevance in light of the New York State legislature's move to legalize gay marriage on Friday. At the Lincoln Center talk, the Coens compared their movie to "Margot at the Wedding" (Noah Baumbach was on stage with them) suggesting that, like that film, their new work will offer natural dialogue and a feeling of being dropped into the middle of a world. They also said they expected the film to contain musical performances. "We're working on a movie now that has music in it [that's] pretty much all performed live, single instrument," Joel Coen said.
The Coens, who had what was by far their biggest success box-office ever with the western "True Grit" last year, are often known for tackling wildly disparate subjects from film to film. They've made one notable music-heavy movie before, spotlighting a decidedly different era in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?
New Coen Brothers Movie About '60s Folk Legend Gets Financing, Is Titled 'Inside Llewyn Davis'
Source: Playlist
It looks like the Coens are a little closer to getting their next film mounted, and with producer Scott Rudin—who paired with duo previously on "No Country For Old Men" and "True Grit"—now behind the film, it looks like the trio are gearing up for another run at the Oscars.
The Coens have been teasing their new project for a while, mentioning back in June that they were at work on a music-based project. This was quickly followed up by reports that they're working on a film loosely based on the life of Dave van Ronk, an American folk singer who presided over the Greenwich Village scene in the 1960s, which give birth to a new wave of artists that included Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Joni Mitchell. Guru to younger musicians, an encyclopedia of blues and folk history, and an accomplished performer in his own right, Ronk was nicknamed "The Mayor of MacDougal Street" which also served as the title of his posthumous memoir, from which the Coens are said to be drawing their material. Well, it's all pushing ahead as Variety reveals Rudin is back and StudioCanal is co-financing the film which is now titled "Inside Llewyn Davis."
It appears the upcoming film is sticking to its "loose" inspiration with the writing/directing pair coming up with a new name for their central character. However, we're mostly curious to see how they will approach the music in the film. Joel Coen previously suggested that the music in 'Davis' would be "pretty much all performed live, single instrument," while longtime cinematographer Roger Deakins stated earlier in the year that they were going for a "16mm Ricky Leacock, D.A. Pennebaker type of documentary" in the style they were looking for.
The Coens had one of the biggest hits of their career with the music driven "O Brother, Where Art Thou" (the soundtrack was recently expanded and re-release to give you an idea of its ongoing popularity) and the prospect of the duo diving into the '60s folk rock scene is pretty exciting. No word yet on a start date or a distributor, but with TIFF coming up there will likely be more wheeling and dealing around the picture. Now we just gotta ask: can we have Cate Blanchett reprise her role as Bob Dylan?
Script is here (http://www.youknow-forkids.com/news/2011/11/09/inside-llewyn-davis-script/) for those interested.
The Coen bros have been so up and down over the last decade, I wasn't sure what to expect of this, but it looks better than I could have ever hoped for.
And this is neither here nor there, but I just love Carey Mulligan so damn much.
this screenplay got me going on life like no other (thank you very much BB) and this trailer seem to completely match my expectations completely..
i will unabashedly say now that this is my 2013 Best Film nominee..
and if im proven wrong... GREAT!
ps: but maybe im vain, because ive already heard 3x that i look like the main character
Quote from: MacGuffin on January 24, 2013, 02:14:16 PM
Trailer
i don't know what to make of this.
basically, if a young independent dickhead made this we'd think oh cute a navel gazing introspective music focused film with a cat, this kid is going straight to the front page!
i'm leaving my mind open to the possibility that they are actually trolling us on a Fargo scale and they just slapped their name on a movie made by a 24 year old unknown.
Quote from: Pubrick on January 25, 2013, 07:11:02 AM
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i'm leaving my mind open to the possibility that they are actually trolling us on a Fargo scale and they just slapped their name on a movie made by a 24 year old unknown.
aw fuck.
i think i made this
Coen Brothers' 'Inside Llewyn Davis' Set For December 6 Release
BY THE DEADLINE TEAM
CBS Films announced today that Joel and Ethan Coen's Inside Llewyn Davis will see a limited release on December 6 and expand out on December 20, the heart of awards season. Oscar Isaac stars in the pic, which takes place in the folk-music circuit in downtown New York's Greenwich Village in the 1960s. Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Garrett F. Hedlund, Murray Abraham and Justin Timberlake co-star. Scott Rudin and the Coen brothers produced.
CBS Films landed domestic distribution rights to the heavily buzzed-about film in February. Its first screening on the Sony lot drew a music crowd, a lot of movie stars and numerous studio execs, resulting in a ton of interest. Word is CBS Films got the pic for close to $4 million for U.S. rights after beating out two other bidders.
Despite it looking weird visually, I'm starting to like the idea of this more (hey it's the Coens, so it's not too hard).
It looks weird visually?
Will watch interview later, but DP/30 typically is very solid.
This was a good film about going in circles and just floating (though also about these circles being mostly self-imposed and caused by integrity). No build-up, no climax, just a steady drift towards...the beginning. Like a good Coen it somehow wears it's metaphors on it's sleeve ("Llewyn is the cat?") and instead of feeling contrived it feels...delicious.
The light and cold of winter is all over this, inside as well as outside. Llewyn (behind that stoic mask) seems to dread being stuck in a wintry loop while living off of the people around him who chooses stability over integrity, but he doesn't budge. Will he just stumble into the wilderness like that wounded cat in that beautiful shot?
SPOILERS
I loved the movie when they talked about his friend who killed himself. It was not about Llewyn anymore, but about the lack of Llweyn & ?; I read somewhere that this movie is the way for the Coens to imagine the infinite grief they would have if one of them would die.
I also liked the silent guy who recites weird poems. And the scene when he sees the town where his son/daughter lives.
It looks like "basic" Coen, but it had more.
I'd basically echo what Drenk/Withnail said. Can't wait for future viewings....I need to see it a few more times, but I think I'd say it's one of my favorites lately.
Quote from: Drenk on December 06, 2013, 11:35:48 AM
It looks like "basic" Coen, but it had more.
Here's a great interview with the DP/Art director, they give some of the best insights into the creative process with the Coen's I've read:
http://www.icgmagazine.com/wordpress/2013/12/10/tangled-up-in-blue/
That driving sequence...the pit stops...John Goodman's character...Coen's hit something new here. I felt like the influence from Delbonnel doing Sokurov really helped this film...there was something Russian going on...the use of light was brooding and empty yet not, and had a philosophical stance of its own, mixed in with the face of Oscar Isaac, combined with the constantly screaming wind and endless fog...i got it.
It could have been bigger as Llewyin could have been a big star with his dead friend or win some money with the rights of Mr Kennedy. The fact that the movie is short, often cuts, is what gives such a weird and deep feeling to it, behind what looks like simplicity...A feeling of what Llewyn misses. I'm totally fine with the movie as it is!
Quote from: ©brad on May 09, 2013, 11:40:59 AM
It looks weird visually?
man does it ever. I think the movie probably didn't cost very much and it shows. there were some really ugly stuff, mixed with, of course, some really beautiful shots.
I really liked the movie. I liked the simple pleasure of just following a character and the oddity of the characters and how it was obvious that the movie is so much more beyond the plot it tells. there is still some clever stuff, and there is still an emotional satisfaction, though the movie is not just about a script that surprises you anymore. I love how it's obvious that there is more going on than scripts put on screen.
my struggles and my soul were nourished by this movie
Quote from: Drenk on December 06, 2013, 11:35:48 AM
And the scene when he sees the town where his son/daughter lives.
oh fraaaance! cities in ohio are called towns elsewhere, but akron is the city of jarmusch and devo, it neighbors cleveland
the coens really like the odyssey.
i can't help but think of other movies while watching anything so what came to mind while i saw this was five easy pieces meets the devil probably, all by way of hong sang soo... if only for the elliptical structure, though hong consistently employs the device closer to the midway point in the film, and i think gets much more out of it. thematic retread it seems, though maybe it's their first movie about young people? their worldview and style are as assured and ambivalent as ever, though definitely better expressed in other films... not their best (whereas i feel of late they've made a trent of one upping themselves with each new movie) but who cares. really good. i found it incredibly depressing. oscar isaac is great, the music in this movie is pretty perfect and really elevates the movie.
Good god, this movie wrecked me. This might be giving extra weight to the recency of the experience, but at this moment I feel it's the Coens' best film since Barton Fink.
I don't think there's a better film that's been made about the experience of losing a partner, of figuring out your place in the world as an individual rather than half of a piece. Of the world treating you differently because of a quality you lack on your own. And facing up to the gnawing fear that it was, in fact, the other person that made you special, and now that they're gone, where does that leave you?
What the Coens do better than anyone else is to make the mundane mythic. At their best, their films activate that Joseph Campbell gland in the back of our brains that tells us this is more than a story, this is THE story, the current carrying us down the river of collective human experience. And it's funny, and it's dramatic, and whatever else, but it's more than that; it's important. It tells us something about ourselves that we all knew before we were born and then forgot.
And the music. Fuck. The music. Wrecked me.
polkablues, really liked what you said about inside llewyn davis the other minute
super enjoy when movies make people talk about their emotions. and i also related to llewyn! my personal struggle, busted. busted so good. i wonder how theodore you'll be during her. seems like a great question
I've been singing "hang me, oh hang me" for days guys. Saw it again. I Absolutely love this film. Completely agree with all of Polka's statements. THE story! Thanks for your words.
So effing brilliant.
Mercilessly beating the protagonist is nothing new to The Coens but even when Llewyn tries to fight back (unlike Barton and Larry), he just can't win.
KINDA SPOILERS
This is almost irrelevant but at the back of my mind I was reminded of the end of The Dark Tower series- he's back at the start but things have changed ever so slightly. We have progress, slow, incremental progress. But will that ultimately save him?
The Coens can be really brutal sometimes. This notion of the lone ranger, the idea of "if you just keep doing it, if you sacrifice everything for your dreams, they become true", they just destroy it. I love that such depressing, sardonic views on humanity are made with such expertise and taste, and I don't think Ive ever seen a more straight film about artistic broken dreams.
Llewyn Davis is an asshole, yeah. Kind of. He's a good musician too. But he will never be a star. Just put him next Justin Timberlake and see the difference crystal clear. One warms you up instantly, the other doesn't. Yet no one is who they think they are, never in a Coens film, and less so here. Every character shows up to has his or her facade teared down. But by the end, is this guy getting it? Will he be happy just being who he is? The Coens don't really give an answer, and who knows if they have one.
I think the film will grow in me as I rewatch it. It's mercilessly cold, but in retrospect that's one of the main reasons you fall in love with it.