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Movie Review: 'Melancholia'

Movie Review

Some people call director Lars Von Trier a genius, and with Melancholia being his only film I've seen to this point, I can't honestly dispute that. But my initial impression of the man was not a strong one, what with his Nazi "joke" at Cannes this year and his absurdly egomaniacal one-sheet in which the director put his own image above that of his film, something I've never seen before. 

Melancholia is definitely a love it or hate it type of movie. It's the type of movie that inevitably lends itself to supporters claiming that detractors "just don't get it," then having a difficult time describing exactly what "it" is. It's a movie about the end of the world, as a mysterious planet that shares its name with the film's title is on a crash course with earth. It's about how the film's two main characters, sisters Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) deal with the realization of their mortality as the end nears. Justine, a hopelessly depressed woman long before we meet her, embraces the impending doom that will end the "evil" that is life while the happiness-obsessed Claire reacts as most everyone else would.

Our universe during this time is limited - all of the events take place at Claire and her husband John's (Kiefer Sutherland) lavish mansion and surrounding land, so we have no idea how the outside world is reacting to everything. The first half of the movie introduces us to Justine and her "husband" Michael (Alexander Skarsgard) at their farce of a wedding/reception while we come to know Claire and John during the second half of the film, the half dedicated to Melancholia.

Melancholia isn't half as deep as it thinks it is or pretends to be. There is quite a bit of symbolism, yes, but at a certain point not far form the surface the search for meaning will be futile. I'm not one who needs answers fed to me on a spoon, either. I happen to really like open ended, thought provoking films. But there are so many things here that not just aren't explained, but that flat out don't make sense. Not the least of which is why Dunst's entire family speaks with heavy English accents, yet Justine does not. Or why a woman who so clearly wants nothing but isolation and a husband/fiance who knows this allow their lie of a relationship to get as far as it does. Or a bizarre hint at Justine's clairvoyant abilities.

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But my biggest issue with the film is that we really aren't given any basis for why the characters behave the way they do. Justine is a miserable person who grows more and more unlikeable as the film goes on, but the audience doesn't understand why. I realize that depression has no easy answers, but it's hard to feel anything for a character who is nothing but distant and bitchy while everyone tries to please her. We get overt hints at a broken home and two parents whose priorities are definitely in the wrong place, but that alone seems like an unreasonable reason for Justine's often outrageous behavior.

Dunst has gotten a lot of praise for her performance, even taking home the best actress award at Cannes, but it's Gainsbourg who really steals the show. Unlike Dunst's Justine, Gainsbourg's Claire is sympathetic. We feel for her. When the story shifts toward her and Sutherland, the film really begins to pick up steam, culminating in what is an unforgettable finale. At times, it's a visually stunning experience, including the fascinating foreshadowing prelude. But even the good, sometimes strong, moments can't make up for the tedious bore that is the first half.

Melancholia is an ambitious film that can't overcome a disconnect between its two parts, and between its lead character and the audience.

5 out of 11

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For all my 2011 movie reviews, visit http://mastersofourdomain.blogspot.com/

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