I'm trying out a new feature for this column called the "Redbox Pick of the Week." Every Tuesday I'll write about a new movie coming out that week, which you can have for a mere $1.28. This week's selection is Lars von Trier's haunting and apocalyptic "Melancholia."
If you want to see the film that was the most snubbed by the Academy Awards, here it is. "Melancholia" had the best direction of any film this year and was easily in the running for picture and cinematography. This was a truly groundbreaking film and presents one of the best allegorical looks at depression you can probably see on film.
"Melancholia" is the story of two sisters, Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Claire (Charolette Gainsborough). The story is divided into three parts: an opening overture, the second act titled "Justine" and the last act titled "Claire."
The story opens with Justine's wedding to Michael (Alexander Skarsg+â-Ñrd) at Claire's estate. The wedding quickly goes awry, as family members cannot stop bickering with each other, including Claire's husband John (Kiefer Sutherland). The first half ends with the members of the party commenting on a star they can no longer see.
The film's second half centers on a planet called "Melancholia," which some astronomers fear will collide with Earth. Justine comes back to the estate as Claire becomes increasingly worried about Melancholia despite John, who is established as an astronomy junkie, constantly assuring her everything will be fine. As the planet comes ever closer, the characters try to hang on to their increasingly marred lives.
The best thing going for "Melancholia" is the incredible visuals on display. The opening overture is one the most striking sequences of the year, with just an absolutely gorgeous visual theme. Everything in this sequence is shot in slow motion and illustrates the devastating beauty in "Melancholia."
The performances are very good as well. Kirsten Dunst is very impressive, though I thought her character came alive a lot more in the film's second half than the first. Her portrayal of a woman with depression is extraordinarily heart-wrenching.
Charlotte Gainsborough is predictably good. Her performance represents the right sort of middle character who is being yanked in opposite directions by Dunst's crippling depression and Sutherland's reassuring logic. Her character is the control group in this psychological exploration, giving the audience something to relate to in the film.
Sutherland is also surprisingly effective in his role. A von Trier film and the man who plays Jack Bauer normally wouldn't mix, but he represents his character nicely, presenting the control that is placed on those suffering from depression.
I think von Trier nails this film by reeling in his impulses a little bit. This may seem a little disingenuous to say about a film dealing with the imminent destruction of earth, but this film feels a lot less impulsive than it probably could have been. I think Terrence Malick's inability to limit himself a little in "The Tree of Life" caused that film to suffer, but von Trier succeeds at limiting the impulsiveness.
Von Trier dealt with crippling depression before and during filming "Melancholia," which really shows in the film. No moment better illustrates this than the first glance we get of Dunst in the second half of the film. At this point she is so overwhelmed by her depression that she can't even walk and has to be carried into the house.
The film is not perfect, though there are those who liked it even more than I did. At times I thought the wedding scene dragged a little bit and characters sometimes had a tendency to behave in either completely unexplainable or very clich+â-¬d manners, but this was not a terrible sequence. There still is a lot of interesting interaction going on. I just believe when set against the second half, the first half of the film isn't quite as good.
I think "Melancholia" is a beautiful film. If you like film in any way, there is no excuse to miss an opportunity like this. This is a film that brings together the best of one of the most interesting directors around, along with some of the best visuals of any film released this year. The result is an incredible film that represents one of the best 2011 had to offer. After this movie was over it hung onto me for months after, that is the kind of effect it has on an audience.
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