Inside Llewyn Davis

If this film has a particular weakness, it's the inherent coldness with which it unfolds. Though not known for the warmth of their films, the Coens have authored warmer entries, even in the midst of incredibly dark subject matter (Fargo and O Brother, Where Art Thou? come to mind). This is a film that is unforgiving. Almost none of the characters are likable. Many are downright detestable. One is even outright hateful. Everything is cyclical, everything defeating. And yet, I find myself coming back to it. Few movies have ever conveyed the feeling of depression and struggle like this one. It's a monument to pain, both individual and collective, and the few truly vulnerable moments in it hit all the harder because of the tone of the film, and the way it's constructed. It hurts me to watch it. I continue to watch it. We all live in our cycles, and this film is one.