Melancholia DVD

Melancholia DVD

Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, Alesander Skarsgard,
Director: Lars Von Trier
Rating:  3.5/5

Any Lars Von Trier project is always well worth a watch as he is never concerned with appealing to a certain market or making movies a certain way - he has always made films he has wanted to make in the way that he has wanted to make them.

And with Melancholia this is no different however Von Trier has managed to make a movie that I both liked and disliked all at the same time.

Justine (Dunst) and Michael (Skarsgård) are celebrating their marriage at a sumptuous party in the home of her sister (Gainsbourg) and brother-in-law (Sutherland).

Meanwhile, the planet, Melancholia, is heading towards Earth.

Firstly to look at this is movie is just stunning as the filmmaker has managed to capture some really beautiful imagery and there’s a certain sereneness to it - which you wouldn’t expect from a movie that is tackling the subject of the apocalypse.

The opening ten minutes are the best in the movie as he blends this imagery with a very rousing and emotive score - sadly the rest of the movie doesn’t live up to this somewhat unorthodox opening.

At times the story line is gripping and intriguing as the planet Melancholia moves closer to the earth and he has developed some very fascinating characters then at times the movie is as dull as dishwater.

These characters may be fascinating bit there is not a single one of them that is in any way shape or form likeable.

Dunst and Gainsbourg’s characters behave in the oddest way and there is simply no explanation as to why.

Having said that it is a great central performance from Dunst, her best in quite some time.  Justine is a very damaged character, why is never explained, and it’s a very emotionally charged turn from the actress who really does show what she is all about with this performance.

This is perhaps one of the easier Van Trier movies to watch and it is captivating at times but the rather laboured pace in places means that the director doesn’t keep that sense of intrigue all the way through.

But you must stick with it as the final scenes really are excellent. This may not be a movie that I will watch a again but you should see it at least once. 

Melancholia is out on DVD & Blu-Ray now

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw

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