Review: Melancholia

Lar's von Trier's latest offering starring Kirsten Dunst is a dreamy yet gloomy drama that focuses on two sisters during the few days leading up to the apocalypse. The film's title refers to the name of the planet which has been previously hiding behind the sun but now threatens to destroy the earth with its movement, and the mental illness which Dunst's character suffers from.
It is divided into two parts, titled 'Justine' and 'Claire', with each part focusing on the respective sisters. 'Justine' revolves around her wedding night, with the reception taking up a whole hour of screening time. 'Claire' shows the last few days up until the end of the world, also looking at Justine's mental state as her health improves as she comes to terms with the changes taking place around her.

Also starring Kiefer Sutherland and John Hurt, I enjoyed this film a lot. It is aesthetically beautiful and reminded me of Malick's 'The Tree of Life', which detailed the earth's formation rather than its end. The performances were great and although the plot was slow paced, this added to the sense of dread I felt while watching the impending doom unfold. I think this was because there was no attempt to survive, the characters accepted and gave in to their fate. Both an enticing and uneasy watch, I fully recommend this film. *****