Melancholia (2011)

Director: Lars von Trier
Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland
Runtime:  minutes

Synopsis: Two sisters find their already strained relationship challenged as a mysterious new planet threatens to collide with Earth.

Performances: 5/5
Screenplay: 4/5
Editing: 3/5
Cinematography: 5/5
Score/Soundtrack: 4/5

Verdict: "Melancholia" is the second chapter in Lars von Trier's Trilogy of Depression, following "Antichrist" and preceding "Nymphomaniac". Interestingly enough, it's the one that deals with the illness in the most forward way, with the other two rather focusing on its causes and consequences.

The film, much like every other entry in the trilogy, is divided into parts. Two to be exact. The first one focuses on Justine, a newlywed that suffers from depression and played by an unrecognizable Kirsten Dunst, while the second focuses on her sister, Claire, portrayed by the always great Charlotte Gainsbourg. The performances, cinematography, and Richard Wagner's opera, as well as the accurate depiction of depression in the film and character dynamics, are what make it such a fascinating watch. The casting of Dunst, who herself suffered from the disease and recovered from it just before she started working on the film, is an inspired one that definitely helped with its portrayal, even earning her a deserved Best Actress Award at Cannes. And while I did love this movie overall, I did have a few issues with it that sadly refrain it from being on the same level as "Antichrist" (but still above "Nymphomaniac"). The two parts felt vastly disconnected, and I do wish that von Trier focused on making a more coherent narrative with depression as its main theme rather than going off-road and jumping from realism to metaphorical midway. I wish the movie's themes were handled in a more homogenous way because at the end of it I did feel like I had just watched two different movies, which kind of makes it more difficult to connect the dots.

von Trier is known for making movies that show the ugly side of humanity and somehow turning it into art. "Melancholia" follows that tradition in a rather effective manner, but I wouldn't call it my favorite of his rich filmography. It still remains a movie I'd recommend and even rewatch at some point because it's still a good movie that will make the audience reflect for a good minute, but I can't say that it touched me as much as some of his other movies did.  

FINAL GRADE: 7/10