Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

To describe the most recent release by the Coen brothers as a “shaggy dog” story is to deny its main, and possibly only, message. The watching of the film requires patience. For much of it, the lead — not ever hero enough to be anti-hero — is caught in an ever-deepening downward spiral, exacerbated by the churlishness he mistakes for pride. But just when all seems drawn-out and pointless, there’s a powerful existential shift that brings meaning to all that has come before. Read the full review here.