The Coen brothers have always had a knack for finding the perfect lead actors for their films. From Jeff Bridges in both The Big Lebowski and True Grit to Francis MacDormand in Fargo to John Tuturro in Barton Fink, their selections may sometimes seem weird, but they are always dead on. Even The Ladykillers, which is considered by most to be the duo's weakest film, is strong up front with Tom Hanks as the southern gentleman prone to criminal acts. The point that I'm driving at is that we should expect impressive things from Oscar Isaac in the near future.
Deadline has learned that the Coens have hired Isaac to play the lead role in the upcoming Inside Llewyn Davis. The film is about the folk music scene that exploded in New York during the 1960s. The script is loosely based on the life and times of Dave Van Ronk, who witnessed the rise of incredible talents like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Phil Ochs. Isaac has had quite the busy year in 2011, having played roles in both Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch and Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive. Later this year the actor will be seen in Madonna's W.E. and alongside Channing Tatum in Jamie Linden's Ten Year.
While I didn't enjoy the movie that much, I can attest to Isaac's musical skills as he has a duet with Carla Gugino on the Sucker Punch soundtrack. As I mentioned before, we should know better than to question the Coens, but I'm not sure why anyone would in this case. Isaac is a bona fide upcoming talent and it will be great to see what the Coens can do with him.
