Inside Llewyn Davis and The American Friend - Talking Pondo

Send us Fan Mail  In this episode, Marty gives Clif the movie Inside Llewyn Davis to watch and Clif gives Marty the movie The American Friend to watch. First up is The American Friend, Wim Wenders' 1977 crime drama starring Dennis Hopper and Bruno Ganz. Clif and Marty dig into this strange, visually striking adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's Ripley novel, following a picture framer who gets pulled into a world of art forgery and murder. They talk about Wenders' deliberately paced visual style, the film's sparse score, it's international cast and Dennis Hopper's fascinating performance as Tom Ripley. Then it's off to Greenwich Village in 1961 for Inside Llewyn Davis, the Coen Brothers' melancholy, darkly funny look at a struggling folk musician trying to find his way through the New York music scene. Clif and Marty examine Oscar Isaac's performance, the film's looping structure, it's gorgeous cinematography and Llewyn's seemingly limitless ability to sabotage himself. They also debate whether he's a tortured artist, a grieving man who can't move forward or simply a guy who desperately needs somebody to tell him to get his shit together. Along the way: Dennis Hopper's cowboy hat, Wim Wenders fighting with a film lab, Criterion releases, Bob Dylan and highway hypnosis. Support the show Find our films here: The Love Song of William H Shaw Revenge of Zoe Writing Fren-Zee Making Pondo on Facebook Bluesky Instagram Making Pondo on Letterboxd: Season One Season Two Season Three Season Four Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace Photos by Geoffrey Notkin