Review of Melancholia (2011) by Mikemo — 13 Nov 2011

First, the positive things. I thought Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg did wonderfully with their roles. This was a major departure particularly for Ms. Dundst, who truly threw herself into this movie and gave it her all.

Before I go on, I'm looking at this movie against the framework of how believable the actions portrayed in this movie are compared to how normal folks would react to such severe trials. if someone is going to look at a movie like this, I think my concerns are valid. If you're going for a more allegoric view, my concerns will probably not ring true.

Call me overly practical, but throughout the movie, I kept questioning the plausibility and realism of the actors actions. To start out with, we have Ms. Dunst's character at her wedding. In a matter of a few hours, she goes from total happiness to abject depression, wandering aimlessly around and throwing the marriage away. How realistic is it that a person would take this severe turn of mood in a course of a few hours? Why would the groom not notice things were going strange, and pull her aside and talk to her privately? Great artistic conceit, but I just thought it was strange.

Later as the planet Melancholia came closer, the wife (Gainsbourg) was reading on the internet about the coming disaster, and her husband chided her about buying into something what experts said would not happen. Here we have her family and sister sitting on an information island, no TV or Radio news, no newspapers, the help doesn't say anything, these folks are behaving as if they're the only ones who notice this gigantic planet on the horizon. Again, stretches credulity to believe that they would or even could operate in total isolation like this.

Then, as the disaster gets closer, their butler does not show up - "strange, he never misses work". We have a massive planet coming out of nowhere, no power, the help isn't coming to work (but we're still bathing - let's hear it for cold baths!), and nobody thinks to maybe go to town and see what's happening. Nope, let's just have lots of dark stares, discuss the earth is filled with evil people, etc. Now, before I get flamed by everyone for missing the key "deep messages" of this movie - the isolation of depression, acceptance of fate, how optimism breaks under severe tests of fate - I know that's what the director was aiming for. I just kept thinking to myself, if I saw a planet racing towards me, I'd be spending time with family and friends saying final good byes, reflecting on my life, and staying abreast of current news developments. Not seeing any of these activities, even in passing, undercut the movie for me.