Review of Melancholia (2011) by Justin F — 11 Jun 2013

After a really shaky start I found this film fascinating but be warned that this is an acquired taste and may leave you feeling like the title of the film at the end. It is after all a film about depression. I am a big sports fan and both the BBC and Sky Sports in particular have a tendency these days to compose arty farty scenes of super slow motion sequences with some poetry dubbed over the top read by an actor such as Brian "Gordons alive" Blessed. If in the US then substitute in James Earl Jones. To say I find these montages annoying is an understatement and this is what sprang to my mind during the opening scenes of Melancholia. I really thought the entire film was going to be like this a kind of Boraka on acid. But thankfully, it wasn't.

The film is split into two stories about Sisters Justine (Dunst) and Claire (Gainsbourg). Justine suffers from depression and the first story centers around her wedding day. As with any "normal" wedding there are family feuds aplenty with Justines divorced mother (Rampling) particularly scathing and bitter about the concept of marriage although Justine does seem to have some form of connection with her. Her father (Hurt) is going through some kind of midlife crisis and finds it difficult to relate to his daughter and although she tries it is ultimately fruitless and may provide some clue as to why the marriage with her mother failed. Justines husband tries his best to understand her and is clearly attracted to her physically but this is something that Justine finds difficult to return. The second story is about Claire whose marriage to John (Sutherland) is strained by Justines illness as she comes to stay with them. During this a previously uncharted planet in our solar system called Melancholia is on a path that will bring it perilously close to earth. John has a scientific background and tries to convince Claire that the path of the planet will be a near miss and nothing more. John secretly has doubts but does not share these with Claire. As the story unfolds Claire begins to realise that John might be keeping information about the planet from her.

Kirsten Dunst is what I would classify as a marmite actress. What I mean by this is that people I know either love her or hate her, there is no middle ground. She certainly has what one of my sisters would call a "slap me face" and if this is your opinion of her then the very first scene will turn you off. For my twopennethworth (this is MY review after all) I like her a lot. Primarily because she is Mary Jane (from Spiderman) and she is in one of my favourite films in Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. I think she is particularly good in this and is suited to the role. She manages to convey a sense of frustration and helplessness as well as seeming to try hard for the happiness of others. Gainsbourg is also good and I felt for her as she also seemed isolated and it didn't seem as if anybody was ever there for her. Special mention also goes to Charlotte Rampling as the marvellously bitter and twisted Mum.

The conclusion that I drew from this is that the two stories are possibly of depression from different angles. In Justines version you are actually seeing Claires point of view of the frustrations of loving someone who has depression. How their seemingly irrational behaviour puts strains on all those around them? The second story is actually how Justine sees the world, the world closing in all around her, how she sees people acting strangely too and the helplessness of the situation with no conceivable way out, the feeling of being trapped? The film does have beauty as well. The way it is shot at times, the special effects and the location are very easy on the eye. One last parting thought, whats the significance of the 19th hole? I always thought the 19th hole was the bar, maybe this says more about me than it does about the film? Anyway, persevere with this story and you might find it as rewarding as I did?