Melancholia (2011)

Tags

Alexander Skarsgard, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Charlotte Rampling, Drama, John Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland, Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia, Movie, Stellan Skarsgard

of course I'm happy...absolutely...totally...yeah...

R

Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlotte Rampling, John Hurt, Alexander Skarsgard, Stellan Skarsgard

Justine:  The Earth is evil…we don’t need to grieve for it.
Claire:  What??
Justine:  Nobody will miss it…

Well…there’s a wedding…and the bride, Justine (Dunst) is feigning happiness.  She’s actually depressed, worried, sad, and afraid.  You might say…she’s melancholic.  Why?  Well, she’s not entirely sure, but soon after the wedding she might just find out.  That’s when humanity learns that a very large planet is going to make a flyby of the Earth…or possibly collide with it.

Where to start?

How about with Kirsten Dunst.  This had to be a pretty mentally draining role for her.  She has to go from depressed to really depressed and finally to so depressed that she can’t even get out of bed.  It may not be a wide ranging performance, but I thought she did a good job, especially when her character takes a sort of preternatural turn.

Speaking of turns, this movie would have taken a very major and unexpected turn if it hadn’t been for the first 5 minutes of the film.  In those first minutes, we’re treated to scenes depicting the final moments of the Earth before the planet Melancholia erases it from existence.  Without that opening, the following hour of the movie would have just seemed like a family drama.  Instead, Justine’s sense of impending doom takes on an odd, heavy feel, which then makes the various family dramatics more interesting.  On their own, the quarrels wouldn’t be that entertaining, but I stayed interested because I knew eventually that big planet would come into play.

This is my first exposure to Lars Von Triers, and I have to admit that I enjoyed his style.  Not that I’m going to rush out and watch Antichrist, but I might check out some of his other directorial efforts.

I’d say this isn’t a movie for the masses, but it is a movie that will leave you thinking afterward.  Not just about how you would react to the Earth’s impending doom, but also about what the movie is a metaphor/analogy for.  Mortality?  The ennui of life and marriage?  You decide.

Just be prepared to sit through the world’s most depressing wedding reception.

Oh, and can anybody tell me why Justine’s family is entirely British, but she has no accent whatsoever?  I think I missed that explanation…

Addendum:

Okay, I realized I left out one of the major reasons I enjoyed this movie.  It was an end-of-the-world type story done on a very personal level.  We aren’t subjected to a boatload of fake news broadcasts or presidential speeches or military guys talking about what could be done to save the Earth.  It’s just one family’s dealings with the scenario.  It reminded me of Signs in that regard.  When you take a big idea and focus it on just a few characters, that’s when the real emotions of the situation start to emerge…

Be very sure before you say “I do.”

10 – 1.6 because yeah, it does drag at times – .8 for the generally angry tone = 7.6

Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)

Tags

Animated, Comedy, Hugh Laurie, Kiefer Sutherland, Monsters vs. Aliens, Movie, Rainn Wilson, Reese Witherspoon, Science Fiction, Seth Rogen, Will Arnett

yer gonna need a bigger church...

PG

Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Seth Rogen, Will Arnett, Kiefer Sutherland, Rainn Wilson

Susan: Did you see how strong I was!?  There’s probably not a jar in this world I can’t open!

On her wedding day, Susan (Witherspoon) is hit by a meteorite which causes her to grow into a giant.  She is captured by the government and imprisoned along with 4 other monsters that have been caught.  When a humongous alien robot shows up looking for the very substance that turned Susan into a giant, she and the other monsters are called upon to help destroy it.

While this movie may not be as witty or enthralling as most of the Pixar movies, I still enjoyed it for its visuals and original idea.  In fact, the idea is so good, I think that any disappointment I felt was because I think an even better movie could have been made.  It probably could have been a little more imaginative, especially when it comes to the Aliens.  The alien leader is kind of dull, and the giant robot he sends initially doesn’t have much personality either.

The monsters are pretty good, though.  Seth Rogen was particularly funny as B.O.B., the amorphous blob of goo who constantly demonstrates that he has no brain.  I think his voice was much more suited for this character than it was for his character in Kung Fu Panda.

What was with the human faces, though?  I thought the proportions and expressions were borderline creepy at times.  Actually, I’m quite certain they were.  Especially early on, at the wedding.

As I mentioned, it might be funny at times, but it’s not a hilarious movie.  This adds to it feeling a little overlong (even though it’s only 94 minutes in length), especially in the second half.  But at least their are those nice visuals to take in.  I especially enjoyed the view as the military helicopters approached the giant alien robot.  Cool stuff.

Overall, this won’t be topping my list of favorite computer animated movies, or even cracking the top 5, but it’s an enjoyable ride while it lasts.  Just don’t count on it being one you’ll want to get back in line for after it’s over.

Brains are overrated.

10 – 1.2 for lacking some in the funny department – 1 for dragging a bit in the second half – .4 for the aliens being kinda dull = 7.4