"Inside Llewyn Davis" is definitely NOT a fictionalized Dave Van Ronk biopic.
I'd read somewhere that the Coen brothers' movie Inside Llewyn Davis was a biopic about the folk singer Dave Van Ronk.
When I was young, I had a "Dave Van Ronk" phase. When I played in clubs as a kid, about 10% of my repertoire was out of Van Ronk, including the song that opens the movie, "Hang Me," to which I added a few verses of my own.
I played "Come Back Baby" in an open C tuning with a slide - people really liked it, but I was disappointed with my rendition. I was really upset that it was a scam on my part inasmuch as I couldn't play it like Van Ronk played it; I did make a stab at singing it as a tribute to Van Ronk. His phrasings were impeccable. His version of "God Bless the Child" caused shivers down my spine. (I never tried to play it.)
I tried to live by his remark, "I can tell a lie, but I sure can't sing one."
He was simply a brilliant guitarist, and as a singer and raconteur he was wonderful, possessed with a fabulous sense of humor. I must have seen him live scores of times, one time waiting in the freezing cold somewhere in New York City - I forget where - while feeling sick with a horrible sore throat; it proved to be strep throat. Sick I was, I stayed until the end, probably 4 AM before I left to catch a train.
Inside Llewyn Davis has very little connection with Van Ronk as I see it, portraying a musician whole is decidedly good, but not in love with his music, not in love with anything, hollow, conniving and cold.
In general, I love Coen brother's movies, in particular Fargo and the wonderful A Serious Man. The critics loved Inside Llewyn Davis. Because Dave Van Ronk was in a sacred space in my life, I actually resent the movie being associated with him. I really didn't enjoy it as such.
I just thought I'd say this.
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