PRESS CONFERENCE – Joel Coen: “Yes, the film revolves around the cat!”

Brothers Ethan and Joel Coen answered questions from journalists after the screening of Inside Llewyn Davis. With them were Oscar Isaac who plays the lead role, Carey Mulligan and Justin Timberlake as well as T Bone Burnett, who was in charge of the film’s music. Selected extracts below.

Joel Coen on the cat in film:
The film doesn’t really have a story or a plot, which is why we added the cat. Yes, the film revolves around the cat!

Oscar Isaac explains his role:
It’s a question of bad luck, the character wasn’t in the right place at the right time. He had slightly destructive behaviour. He was looking for authenticity and wasn’t careerist. He had this internal conflict, he was caught between success and failure.

Ethan Coen talking about casting:
Casting is hugely important. When we write a character who is in every scene, the actor has to be able to act, to behave like a musician and to hold that for an entire song. We really struggled. Until we met Oscar.

A notion of success and failure from Justin Timberlake:
We see a lot of people who have talent but to whom nobody listens. Luck can launch someone’s career. The most important thing is to not get caught up in what stops us from expressing ourselves.

Carey Mulligan talking about her experience as an actress and singer:
I was quite nervous. So we met and worked on the music, listened to the music and made choices. Joel and Ethan’s  talent puts you at ease.
 

Quotes collected by TK