Has anyone seen Melancholia? What did you think of it?

I realize that people often overuse the word “literally”. I am not overusing the word when I say it was literally the worst movie I’ve ever seen. I must have looked at my watch ever 1.3 minutes. Afterwards, my (totally new, never been out before) date kept apologizing to me for suggesting it. At least the bashing on it gave us something to talk about and laugh over.

I just checked Netflix on the off chance they have it available for streaming, and they do! I hope the plot has more of the sci-fi aspect than the family dynamics stuff…(something about a planet colliding with the Earth and two sisters having a strained relationship, I guess).

Thanks for the recommendation, Blackberry.

Apparently Kirsten Dunst gets nakie in this one too, yeehaw!

Kristen Dunst’s breasts are unbelievable.

@FutureMemory It’s kinda sci-fiy… but not really in a normal way. It’s way more about family dynamics than sci-fi – the first half doesn’t even have the sci-fi aspect, and the second half is way more about how this sci-fi thingy that isn’t explained much impacts the family.

Well, I’m an hour in, and I really gotta say what the fuck is the point of this movie??? My god, no wonder you hated it, @Aethelflaed. I’m going to finish it, but Jesus..the first hour could have been condensed to 15 minutes, easy…

@FutureMemory Yeah… I think that’s purposeful. I read that von Trier was inspired by how calmly people react to bad situations when depressed, and have concluded that not only is this movie an attempt to portray that, but it’s also an attempt to see if he can take a normal audience, make them suicidal, and then see if they will calmly stay in their seats.

I’m sorry BB, but after viewing this film, I have to disagree with you about it being excellent. I must admit Kirstin’s cleavage during the first hour was nice, but on the whole…pass.

Lol! It’s ok, guys. I was extremely bored and had the time to get drawn into it, which is possibly why I liked it so much.

Uhmmm, ehrmm, something about the movie’s title seems to indicate that faster pacing would not have anything to do with it…and yah know, The Anti-Christ…?

Not Lars von Triers best work, but as the man is a self-proclaimed genius, it’s still pretty good. I found the movie couldn’t live up to it’s opening sequence, however it engaged me to the end. Worth watching for Charlotte Gainsbourg in the second act, and I thought Kiefer did a solid job. Dunst was meh in my opinion.
Conclusion of the movie: depression sucks but hay-ho, it’s the end of the world.

I thought it was a fascinating film, very mysterious but beautifully photographed. I liked it and may even watch it again some day.

I found it to be painfully excruciatingly slow. As I said in a previous post, the first hour could have been condensed to 15 minutes, easily, or 30 minutes tops. There was no reason this movie had to run 2 hours and 15 minutes. To those that saw it in the theater: how many walk outs did you notice, if any? I’m fairly certain I would have bailed after the 45 minute mark. (That dang cleavage all up in my face though…brilliant move, von Triers).

Would anyone like to offer up an explanation on why the horse didn’t want to cross the stone bridge? Whatever meaning it had eluded me completely.

@FutureMemory No one walked out. Not one. A couple went to the bathroom (like me…) but everyone came back. (I didn’t leave because I was on a date, and it seemed too rude to turn to someone I didn’t know well and dis a movie she very well might have been enjoying… And if I walked out, that really rules out any possibility of our relationship advancing to a more fun level.) But then the movie ended, and all 10 people in the theater started talking about how crappy it was. Had it been me, on my own? Before that trailer intro thingy ended.

The horse… I dunno, because stones are rough on horsie’s feet? What I want to know is, why couldn’t she move her damn legs on the golf course, why she cheated for such lackluster sex, and who the hell doesn’t make sure a limo won’t get stuck on that stupid windy road first?

All these questions make me want to click on that Instant Play Netflix button. Lol.

I dare you to, Maz!

Dare taken. Please wait for results. Heh heh.

@FutureMemory Sorry to disappoint you but considering what the filmmaker really intended to accomplish, which is to answer the question, “How would you start that day with such an event and end it achieving that most unexpected result , and make it all believable-?”...I think he pulled that off splendidly.

Except for the first 8 minute visual catwalk, the storytelling in rest of that first hour was actually fast paced. Consider what the director and writer set-out to accomplish, the question they raised and answered beautifully.

The filmmakers forced its audience to attend that party, immersed in it…so when they show those “what the heck is happening” scenes, the audience were ready to believe the filmmakers operated within reason. And hopefully got entertained. ( Although I’m not sure if von Trier cared about doing that )

I’ll continue watching tomorrow since I really can’t stay up late tonight. I have no freakin idea why that horse won’t cross the bridge. Except maybe it has something to do with the Earth’s movement-? The horse could be sensing an unusual change-? Lol.

Fast paced??? You must have seen a different movie..lol.

@FutureMemory Well, I’m just describing the first 52 minutes. Where Trier showed us the first chapter, Justine. For only 52 minutes, a whole wedding reception and with that conclusion, yeah, it was fast paced. Watch the first 52 minutes again. He did not really linger in any single scene except that silly limousine fiasco.

But as a whole movie, I don’t know yet. Although I do have a feeling that that running time was just right for such a heavy, dramatic and ambitious plot.

How strange that we can come away with such different impressions. I’m glad you enjoyed it. It seemed extremely self-indulgent to me, but I think that can be largely attributed to the camera work (“Cinema Verite”, as @Aethelflaed called it). The second half I found to be much more watchable, I bet you’ll enjoy it even more than the first half.

@mazingerz88 Hold up. Believable? No. No no no no no none of these people would ever be real humans ever.

@FutureMemory Yeah, I didn’t entirely understand why he didn’t just stay home and whack off a bunch… same effect, much less money.

@Aethelflaed Haven’t finished the movie yet but as far as that wedding reception goes, I can’t seem to find such unreal human beings. Of course it’s ridiculous what that bride did, but it seems she has reasons, “within reason”, as to why she did that.

Well, perhaps, totally unacceptable for you. All the other scenes were just wedding occurrences that maybe a bit too dramatic but all within reason and does not qualify them as unreal ever, imo.

… except, I thought, for the way the parents acted, mazingerz88. An over-the-top depiction to show that these two girls obviously had an horrendous upbringing at the hands of these two selfish creatures. I thought the two actors were excellent as always, but unbelievably crass for parents at a wedding, divorced or not. Then again, if they hadn’t acted this way, it would have been a far less entertaining film!

@Rheto_Ric Yes, agree. Those parents were “unreal” but only because we didn’t know anything about them before that unbelievable behaviour. It would be believable if they showed why in another chapter. But it’s not their movie. We are being asked to fill in the blanks so the main story could move forward.

When I saw those accomplished actors in that inane setting, I thought they were there because they were the director’s friends and were there for mere fun cameos. Turned out their caliber was needed in a possible attempt by the filmmaker to make us swallow the pill.

It’s John Hurt and Charlotte Rampling and they have this unhinged ridiculous scene but hey, it’s John Hurt with a scraggly beard and a glowing Charlotte Rampling! You will take that pill! You will like that pill! Lol.

We Netflixed it this morning and were surprised. We really liked it. There were fatalistic things I thought were cruel like the sister Claire being portrayed as the one sister to overcome her mother’s marriage taint, seems to have a husband who supports her through her anxiety and then whomp! He ditches her and their child at the 11th hour and lets her down, just as her mother would have predicted. This whole movie was twisted and there was a lot going on to keep up with but yeah, if I didn’t feel morose when I woke up, the movie killed my spirit by lunchtime. What a ride.

Just watched this last night. It’s still haunting me this morning, which is a good sign.

Although I admit that the theme here is one that would be nearly impossible to screw up (depression, apocalypse).