'Melancholia' Review Thread (Use Spoiler Tags)

[Yankees0222]

Watched it tonight on HDnet and all I can say is WOW! This is definitely my new most anticipated blu release.

My favorite movie of the year thus far and I would be surprised if any other movie being released could top this.

5/5

[BluBrown]

Originally Posted by Yankees0222

Watched it tonight on HDnet and all I can say is WOW! This is definitely my new most anticipated blu release.

My favorite movie of the year thus far and I would be surprised if any other movie being released could top this.

5/5

I watched it too....EXCELLENT FILM!

[jvince]

I see some have seen it already, so here's my review (no spoilers):

Genre: Drama | Sci-Fi
Synopsis: Two sisters find their already strained relationship challenged as a mysterious new planet threatens to collide into the Earth.
Running Time: 2 hours, 16 minutes

Director: Lars von Trier (Dogville)
Writer: Lars von Trier (Breaking the Waves)
Stars: Kirsten Dunst (Spider-Man), Charlotte Gainsbourg (Antichrist), Kiefer Sutherland (24), Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood), Charlotte Rampling (Never Let Me Go), John Hurt (Alien), Stellan Skarsgård (Good Will Hunting), Udo Kier (Blade), Jesper Christensen (Casino Royale)

The end of the world has never been so beautiful.

The infamous Lars von Trier has created a masterpiece of epic proportions with Melancholia, a tale of two sisters (both played exceptionally by Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg) as they cope with Earth's impending doom. The film is divided into two parts -- the first focuses on Justine (Dunst) and the second on Claire (Gainsbourg) -- and it is bookended by a magnificent, dream-like, 8-minute opening montage and one hell of an epic final shot that will surely be imprinted in your mind.

The direction and screenplay by von Trier are superb and award-worthy. It has been known that the helmer battled depression for years and you could really feel it in his work -- with its increasingly bleak, ominous atmosphere and the frightening thought of being absolutely helpless in such a situation -- it is tremendously suffocating.

The acting displayed is fantastic. There has been plenty of buzz for Kirsten Dunst and it is justified as she delivers a breakthrough performance that will positively place her as a front-runner for major acting awards; This is her Black Swan. Charlotte Gainsbourg is just as impressive, genuinely conveying fear and powerlessness.

With Melancholia, von Trier shows that it isn't necessary for an apocalyptic film to have multi-million dollar CGI tidal waves and collapsing buildings in order to evoke panic and dread. All one really needs are well-developed characters and some good old storytelling.

[Daigle]

Just watched it. Deeply affected me, an incredible experience.

[newginafets]

I hate this movie

[BladeRunner2007]

Best movie I've seen all year. Kirsten deserves an oscar nod. The music was amazing.

[obiwopkenobi62]

Wow, I watched it on HDNet and all I can say is the best thing about the movie was when Dunst was laying their in the nude. Other than that, I wanted to kill myself because the movie was so boring. No wonder HDNet gets these movies and shows them for free. Just about every movie I've seen on HDNet was terrible.

[New_sacred_cow]

Watched it last night. I don't think I have felt that anxious during the end of a movie in quite some time.

[menaceuk]

Am I only one who think this movie isn't actually about what it describes it's self as being ?

IMDB states that it is a movie about 2 sisters and the strain impending doom has on their all ready strained relationship.


But I didn't see that at all. The Relationship remains the same. It doesn't get worse and doesn't get better.

The only theme I really saw was how each sister deals with this Impending Disaster/event.

I also Am not clear on if this Knowledge is known at the start of the movie. ?

[Yankees0222]

Originally Posted by menaceuk

Am I only one who think this movie isn't actually about what it describes it's self as being ?

IMDB states that it is a movie about 2 sisters and the strain impending doom has on their all ready strained relationship.


But I didn't see that at all. The Relationship remains the same. It doesn't get worse and doesn't get better.

The only theme I really saw was how each sister deals with this Impending Disaster/event.

I also Am not clear on if this Knowledge is known at the start of the movie. ?

I don't believe that the possible collision with Melancholia is known at the start of the film because Justine is constantly looking at the sky questioning what that new bright star is. If it was wide spread news then I don't think she would have been questioning it like she did. I dont think it was known until part 2 and they start discussing it.

[Yankees0222]

Originally Posted by obiwopkenobi62

Wow, I watched it on HDNet and all I can say is the best thing about the movie was when Dunst was laying their in the nude. Other than that, I wanted to kill myself because the movie was so boring. No wonder HDNet gets these movies and shows them for free. Just about every movie I've seen on HDNet was terrible.

To each their own.... I thought this was the best movie of the year and didn't find it boring at all. In fact, I thought the 2hr and 10min running time flew by.

[menaceuk]

Originally Posted by Yankees0222

I don't believe that the possible collision with Melancholia is known at the start of the film because Justine is constantly looking at the sky questioning what that new bright star is. If it was wide spread news then I don't think she would have been questioning it like she did. I dont think it was known until part 2 and they start discussing it.

Which leads me to a theory about the opening of the movie.

[Show spoiler] All the images of her and the earth being destroyed were a vision she had ?


I mean in part 1 she seems mentally unstable and in part 2 she tells her sister about how she just knows things.

Her behaviour in Part 1 could be explained by seeing the events about to unfold.

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by newginafets

I hate this movie

What? That's it - I'm only sending you scratched blu-rays from now on! This is a perfect movie for you to do a double feature of this and It's a Wonderful Life.



Is it likely that this movie will be totally ignored at the Oscars all because of Von Trier's recent comments? This movie should get nominated for something, definitely Dunst and Gainsbourg. Gainsbourg was so much more awesome though - the way she emoted was much more a challenging performance than what Dunst had to do. Gainsbourg had so many more conflicts that she had to deal with.

And I don't think this movie is a mystery at all. The movie is amazing because the director lays everything out in the beginning and it's still an intense ride knowing what's going to happen. I think that the opening scenes are just an artistic montage of things to come and/or it's Dunst's visions/predictions. It doesn't really matter. There is nothing to interpret. It's a very straight-forward and creative melodramatic sci-fi flick. Humans are sick. Animals and crazy people sense danger. We all die alone. Boom goes the dynamite!

I'm disappointed that this film isn't playing in some huge multiplex theater. In NYC right now, it's playing in two art-house movie theaters which aren't known to offer amazing visual/audio experiences. Eventhough Melancholia is an art-house film, it really would be such a more powerful film shown on a huge screen with awesome audio. It would be great if it played in an Imax theater, which it deserves, but that will never happen.

[menaceuk]

Originally Posted by toddly6666

What? That's it - I'm only sending you scratched blu-rays from now on! This is a perfect movie for you to do a double feature of this and It's a Wonderful Life.



Is it likely that this movie will be totally ignored at the Oscars all because of Von Trier's recent comments? This movie should get nominated for something, definitely Dunst and Gainsbourg. Gainsbourg was so much more awesome though - the way she emoted was much more a challenging performance than what Dunst had to do. Gainsbourg had so many more conflicts that she had to deal with.

And I don't think this movie is a mystery at all. The movie is amazing because the director lays everything out in the beginning and it's still an intense ride knowing what's going to happen. I think that the opening scenes are just an artistic montage of things to come and/or it's Dunst's visions/predictions. It doesn't really matter. There is nothing to interpret. It's a very straight-forward and creative melodramatic sci-fi flick. Humans are sick. Animals and crazy people sense danger. We all die alone. Boom goes the dynamite!

Are you sure you watched the movie ?

Where is the Humans are sick coming from and we all die alone ? where was that in the movie. How about crazy people sensing danger ?

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by menaceuk

Are you sure you watched the movie ?

Where is the Humans are sick coming from and we all die alone ? where was that in the movie. How about crazy people sensing danger ?

Different interpretation then. It is a great movie to discuss after all!

Dunst and the animals - what were they doing? Having fun? Not sensing anything?

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by menaceuk

Are you sure you watched the movie ?

Where is the Humans are sick coming from and we all die alone ? where was that in the movie. How about crazy people sensing danger ?

[Show spoiler]

The animals and Dunst all sensed impending doom (such as crazy weather). It's been studied that animals and crazy people have some some other type of senses that regular mentally stable people have. Debatable yes, but based on controversial studies.

Gainsbourg is a co-dependent person that doesn't want her daily routine ruined. She needs constant reaffirmation that everything is going to be okay. She likes things to be planned and in order. She worries for everyone - her sister, mother, husband, and son. She's the type that needs a support group, which is why it's really heart-breaking what she goes through especially once she does one last planet-size check that final morning. When I think about her performance once she realizes that the planet looks bigger than the "planet wire size" tester, it gets my heart beating. What an awful feeling to know that everyone is going to die, especially her son that she can't protect. Dunst doesn't care about dying alone and making a whole hoopla out of it because she's a negative person. Only at the end, it's heart-breaking for Dunst too once she does end up caring about Gainsbourg's son and she turns out to not be so cold. And the two sisters relationship does improve in those final scenes.

The whole movie is about how humans are sick with each other at all levels - job, family, relationships, traditions, etc. It's just small sampler, but Dunst is the one that reminds us about the negative behavior of people.

[Yankees0222]

Originally Posted by menaceuk

Which leads me to a theory about the opening of the movie.

[Show spoiler] All the images of her and the earth being destroyed were a vision she had ?


I mean in part 1 she seems mentally unstable and in part 2 she tells her sister about how she just knows things.

Her behaviour in Part 1 could be explained by seeing the events about to unfold.

[Show spoiler]You might be right about the prologue being a vision. I didn't take it that way when I first saw it but some of those clips (like Justine in her wedding dress being pulled by her ankles and wrists by vines) might seem to indicate that's the case. Her being depressed because she senses the impending doom doesn't really fit with the rest of the movie though because as Melancholia gets closer, Justine actually seems to be getting better. It's almost as if she's welcoming the end of the world. Which is in stark contrast to Claires character.

Also, it seems Justine has a very long history of depression as well. That it's not just a recent event

[menaceuk]

Originally Posted by toddly6666

[Show spoiler]

The animals and Dunst all sensed impending doom (such as crazy weather). It's been studied that animals and crazy people have some some other type of senses that regular mentally stable people have. Debatable yes, but based on controversial studies.

Gainsbourg is a co-dependent person that doesn't want her daily routine ruined. She needs constant reaffirmation that everything is going to be okay. She likes things to be planned and in order. She worries for everyone - her sister, mother, husband, and son. She's the type that needs a support group, which is why it's really heart-breaking what she goes through especially once she does one last planet-size check that final morning. When I think about her performance once she realizes that the planet looks bigger than the "planet wire size" tester, it gets my heart beating. What an awful feeling to know that everyone is going to die, especially her son that she can't protect. Dunst doesn't care about dying alone and making a whole hoopla out of it because she's a negative person. Only at the end, it's heart-breaking for Dunst too once she does end up caring about Gainsbourg's son and she turns out to not be so cold. And the two sisters relationship does improve in those final scenes.

The whole movie is about how humans are sick with each other at all levels - job, family, relationships, traditions, etc. It's just small sampler, but Dunst is the one that reminds us about the negative behavior of people.

Originally Posted by Yankees0222

[Show spoiler]You might be right about the prologue being a vision. I didn't take it that way when I first saw it but some of those clips (like Justine in her wedding dress being pulled by her ankles and wrists by vines) might seem to indicate that's the case. Her being depressed because she senses the impending doom doesn't really fit with the rest of the movie though because as Melancholia gets closer, Justine actually seems to be getting better. It's almost as if she's welcoming the end of the world. Which is in stark contrast to Claires character.

Also, it seems Justine has a very long history of depression as well. That it's not just a recent event

[Show spoiler]1. First you have to establish she is crazy, which isn't hinted at in the movie.

2. I don't think she was ever cold hearted. She always cared about her sisters son and her sister.

I do agree though she obviously got better the closer the event came. But unlike her sister she had plenty of time to process the information and come to terms with the Inevitable.

But the relationship never changed. It was the same as all ways. what makes it seem different is the 2 people are in different phases of coping with their Inevitable death.

[menaceuk]

Originally Posted by toddly6666

Different interpretation then. It is a great movie to discuss after all!

Dunst and the animals - what were they doing? Having fun? Not sensing anything?

No doubt. I was just curious how you came to some of these as It didn't appear that way to me.

We all know animals sense danger, Including us, It is a natural defence mechanism all animals have.

[Col. Zombie]

I really want to see this but will probably wait until it comes out on disc. I have it it sitting in my Blockbuster queue.