MELANCHOLIA
The End is Near

 

I'm not the biggest fan of Lars Von Trier.  I found Antichrist heavy handed and crass.  I loathe handheld camera and video-whip-zooms on the big screen for anything other than documentary.  But this one got to me.

Melancholia is focused on two sisters; Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg).  The first half of the movie is the night of Justine's wedding.  Justine is hopelessly depressed, frequently wandering off from the festivities to soak in the tub and be alone.  We can tell that she's just going through the motions, as she doesn't seem to be interested in anything at all, including her new husband.

Justine's erratic behavior puts a tremendous strain on her sister Claire who must keep the party going to save face in front of the guests.  Claire seems to be impossibly wealthy, yet her husband John (Kiefer Sutherland) constantly complains about how much money he is blowing on the wedding.

Justine completely deteriorates in the first half of the movie, and we are unsure as to why.

The second half of the film is focused on Claire and her relationship with Justine, John, and her young son.  We learn that Claire is worried about the titular planet whizzing by the Earth in a spectacular flyby. John assures Claire that everything is fine, and that scientists have indicated that there is nothing to fear.  Justine maintains her disconnected depressive demeanor, putting even more strain on the unraveling Claire.  It is in this second half of the movie that Justine's behavior is justified, strangely in tune with the impending doom.

The visual effects in this movie are stunning.  It is rare for a drama to have CGI eye-candy that rivals a top-tier graphic novel adaptation, but it is done tastefully and it adds a level of mesmerizing beauty to scenes of palpable tension.  Apocalyptic, beautiful, and masterful.

Brian Boeckman