It's never going to be the easiest job in the world, assessing the latest film from Lars von Trier. His last work, 'Antichrist' was a masterpiece, albeit a shocking one, and whilst 'Melancholia' is nothing like it in terms of gory and sexual content, I left the cinema as blown away as I had with Trier's previous films.
A mere sentence long synopsis doesn't really do 'Melancholia' justice. It starts much like 'Antichrist' did, a slow motion montage over music, with this time the lead characters being seen in bizarre circumstances that are all touched upon later in the film (especially in the films second part), culminating in the world being destroyed by a giant planet (the titular Melancholia.) Cheery stuff.
Part One of the film actually starts quite lightheartedly, with Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Michael (Alexander Skarsgard) on their way to their wedding reception, which is being hosted by her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and her wealthy, almost toff-like husband John (Kiefer Sutherland). Cracks start to appear early, though. Justine seems intent on rebuffing any kind of happiness and the guests are mostly horrific.
You have Gaby (Charlotte Rampling) and Dexter (John Hurt), Justine and Claires estranged parents. Gaby hates the idea of marriage (and seemingly everything else), while Dexter appears to be a randy old goat, with more interest with the ladies he is sat with than his own daughters. Meanwhile Justine's employer Jack (Stellan Skarsgard) has brought along a new employee with him, and if he doesn't get a new tagline for an advert out of Justine by the end of the night, he's going to be fired!
The whole situation at the reception falls into comedy at times, Udo Kier plays the wedding planner who can't even look Justine in the face for spoiling the reception, a brilliant recurring joke, and there's the priceless moment where John attempts to turf Gaby out, only to have her suitcases brought back in by the help. Sutherland's exasperated performance is really quite amusing.
It's not all fun and games, obviously. Kirsten Dunst delivers the performance of her career (I seriously didn't think she'd have it in her) as the bride. It's hard to tell whether Justine is suffering from depression, or just knows what is looming on the horizon (literally), but it's one of the strongest performances of the year, and must be in line for an Oscar nomination next year.
Apart from John and Claire's child, the only likable character in the first act is Michael, and that's more out of feeling sorry for the guy, you have to wonder how he stumbled across this messed up collection of people.
Part Two is set days later (at a guess) where a completely out of it Justine returns to visit John and Claire, and this part focuses on the latter sister and her increasing paranoia that the planet fast approaching Earth will not just be a "pass by", as the increasingly excited John thinks, but the end of the world as we know it. Coming out of her stupor, Justine seems to believe we are all done for and has accepted it, but the time drawers closer, and well...there's only one way to find out what happens.
As expected, the second part is where Gainsbourg shifts into the lead as she slowly agonizes about impending doom, whilst trying to care for her totally zoned out sister. It's another terrific performance from Gainsbourg in a von Trier film, although it's a lot more reigned in than her legitimately disturbing role in 'Antichrist'.
Even with all these irritating, overbearing characters, von Trier draws you into their world until you are totally gripped. Again, being a Lars von Trier film you get all the amazing shots you'd expect. The previously mentioned slow motion montage, and the horse riding sequences (especially the first one) look absolutely astounding. There's more of course, but that would involve drifting into spoiler territory.
In a way, it's very similar to previous von Trier films. A central female character (or characters in this case) and what happens during or after a devasting event. And while von Trier himself may now be refusing to talk anymore (after certain ill-advised comments about himself and Nazi's earlier in the year), I hope he will now just let his films do the talking. When they are this magnificent, the guy doesn't need to utter a word.
*****
A film that will leave you blown away. Amazingly shot, brilliantly acted and even with some moments of levity in the first act. Astounding stuff.
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