The Japanese drama DRIVE MY CAR (2021, 2h 59min) by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi tells the story of a renowned stage actor and director who learns to cope with his wife’s unexpected passing when he receives an offer to direct a production of Uncle Vanya in Hiroshima. It’s mysterious, impenetrable, creeping forward on many fronts like a lava flow of ideas and nuance. It’s also throat-catchingly beautiful, as sad as a funeral, and wise in a way few films ever aspire to be.