Review of Melancholia (2011) by Treakiepop T — 25 Nov 2012

Fantastic performance by Kirsten Dunst. She nails aspects of severe depression - She must have studied people with the condition in some depth, I have a huge amount of respect for her because of this.

Spoilers alert!

The terrible rage she experiences with the horse. The breakdown and regression to helpless childhood with the bathroom scene. The despair brought on by not being able to taste food. Her sisters awful and utterly believable time of coping with and understanding of her illness (the sole carer) and her fathers blocking it out, refusal to acknowledge, almost dismissal of her condition (and her mothers). Even the childs performance is rather good, a great study of the sort of learning, confusing, problematic interaction within families with a member with a mental illness.

Lovely and strangely shot wedding party scenes, mixing joy, sadness and loneliness so well, the disfunctionality of the family, the fun uncle, embarassed sister, dismissive angry mother, the failing husband to be, etc.

Interesting narrative push by the ultra finality of world destruction, the inability to save itself and hopelessness involved of Dunst's character and the earth similarly.