Melancholia (2011, Denmark)

I am enraptured.

Apparently this is the most "polished" film that Lars von Trier has ever made, which he wasn't pleased about. I haven't really seen enough of his films to form a complete judgement, but I think this film really showcased his artistic genius and creative eye without frustrating the viewer, which makes it just about perfect.

Basically, the film is told in two parts, one focusing on each sister. The first is about Justine and takes place during her wedding reception. (Her new husband is played by Alexander Skarsgård, and I think we all know how much I adore him!) Justine is clearly suffering from depression and is having a hard time staying in the moment. Meanwhile, a new planet has appeared from the other side of the sun. The second part is more about her sister Claire, who clearly suffers from clinical anxiety. The planet, dubbed Melancholia, appears to be on a crash course with the earth (though Claire's husband says it won't happen).

So that's the bare bones of the plot, but it is just so beautifully complex that it's hard to describe. It seems like a lot of reviewers didn't like it because they didn't understand it; they were looking for planets crashing, big Hollywood entertainment value. A large percentage of reviewers seemed to like Part 1: Justine and were frustrated or hateful about Part 2: Claire. I think this is because they didn't understand it. Many people understood that Justine was depressed, but they didn't understand Claire's anxiety, and they didn't like Claire. I, however, have more firsthand experience with mental illness than I would like to have, and it was clear to me that both sisters were ill in different ways and that Claire's illness goes unremarked because she is so busy trying to take care of Justine, whose illness is much more obvious to strangers. Anyway, the planet of Melancholia seemed to be a metaphor for the sisters' illnesses. Justine's is hidden (behind her sometimes sunny personality?) as Melancholia is at first. It goes largely unremarked and misunderstood. Claire's is overwhelming, inescapable, and she feels out of control as the planet comes rushing toward Earth. The approach of Melancholia causes her to panic because she can't control it, and that is a fundamental component of anxiety.

So anyway, yes. To summarize the plot, we have sisters, mental illness, metaphor, planetary collision. The acting was phenomenal. Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg made me believe both that they were sisters with a strained relationship and that they were mentally ill. It's hard to catalog all the minute expressions and glances that made up their performances, but needless to say, they were exquisite and didn't overact at all. The quality of acting really contributed to the success of the film. Toward the beginning, we see Justine and Michael in the limo on their way to the wedding reception, and their looks and giggles and kisses were so infectious and convincing, I felt like I really was intruding on the loving bliss of happy newlyweds. And it only continued from there. The chemistry between all the actors, even the young boy who plays Claire's son, was magical.

In terms of other elements, I don't think anyone would be surprised to hear that the film was visually stunning. It opens with a long (very, very, very, very long) montage of the moments directly before the planets collide at the end of the film, and even though it was a disconcertingly long intro, it was so beautiful that it was hard to mind. This was also when the film's primary music was introduced—Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. It set the perfect mood and continued to hold the entire film together to the end.

I could go on forever. I can't wait to see this film again. It's so intelligent, beautiful, heartbreaking, wonderful, thought-provoking, and strangely real. The last film I loved this much was probably Never Let Me Go, and we all know how I felt about that. (Strange that they're both shockingly realistic but technically sci-fi. I could have stumbled on the perfect genre here.) I'd recommend this to everyone, but especially to those with sisters or firsthand experience with mental illness. It's hard to watch in that regard, but it really strikes a chord.

Wow.

Rating: 5.0

Metropia (2009, Sweden)

I have to copy the plot summary from imdb to make this make sense: In the near future, oil reserves are nearly depleted and Europe is connected by a series of underground tunnels. While navigating these tunnels, Roger hears a voice in his head. Seeking a way to rid himself of the voice only leads Roger deeper into a bizarre conspiracy of control at the highest reaches of government.

This is rather oversimplifying, but it's difficult to explain. As you can see from the poster, this had the most interesting animation style I've ever seen. I couldn't quite decide whether it was 2-D or 3-D. The correlation between voice actors and characters was interesting as well. Roger looked vaguely like Vicent Gallo, while Stefan looked even more like Alexander Skarsgård. Yet these two characters also looked like each other a bit (which is a part of the story, not coincidence). So that was all pretty neat.

The world that they created in this dystopian future Europe was fascinating. The superior public transportation system, which is such a positive aspect of European life now, becomes the symbol of the worst parts of life in the future. Consumerism (and objectifying a specific woman in commercials for a specific product) gives the corrupted leaders a means of control over the populace. The colors are mostly black and gray, and only a few things stand out. Most noticeably Roger's dull red jacket, the model's brilliant blond hair, and the bright blue color of the shampoo she's advertising.

I can't fully do this film justice. The concept, the mood, the animation, the voice acting—all were superb. I highly recommend it, especially if you like something a little different every now and then.

Rating: 3.5

The Last Drop (2005, UK)

Here I go again, following a certain Swede's career all over the place. I was really glad he brought me to this one. It wasn't at all what I thought it would be like. I thought it was going to be about a real World War II military operation. Instead, it was a heist film set during the war. Think Ocean's 11 with Nazis.

I don't know how historically accurate it was, but they did cut archive footage from newsreels and the like into it, which was neat. It was war, adventure, crime, comedy... everything mixed into one.

The one thing that was awful about this one was the sound mixing.
Gunfire and explosions were so much louder than dialogue and music, it was very hard to hear. On the other hand, the writing and acting were great. Billy Zane thought he was Indiana Jones, Alexander Skarsgård was pretty convincing as a German mocking Americans, and the camaraderie between the American soldiers was well played. I never do this, but I can't help it this time: watch this clip from about 0:55 to 1:55. It is priceless!

Rating: 4.0

Zoolander (2001, U.S.)

Ten points for guessing why I decided to watch this one, which is way outside of my normal taste. Yes, a certain Swede, who is in the movie for all of two minutes. But what a good two minutes it was... "orange mocha frappuccino!"

I was shocked at how good this movie actually was. Yes, it was ridiculously silly, but it wasn't the dirty humor you'd expect. Instead it was quite witty and satirical about the fashion industry. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson make a great comedic duo, and the entire ensemble as a whole worked very well together.

There are many, many laugh-out-loud moments, both for a more intelligent viewer and the average dumb comedy viewer. I would watch it again, and that's pretty high praise for me when it comes to comedy!

Rating: 3.5

Generation Kill (2008, U.S.)

Here she goes again! I've been on an Alexander Skarsgård kick lately, and despite my apathy about Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Iraq War, the War on Terror, etc., I watched it. It took me a bit of time to get into the first episode, but once I did, I thought it was wonderful.

Firstly, it was incredibly realistic. It is based on a book written by Rolling Stone reporter Evan Wright, who was with the 1st Recon Marines in the first humvee at the tip of the spear during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Every detail was carefully researched. The slang the men used, their superstitions, their training, their relationships, their day to day lives, the moral issues some of them dealt with... so realistic.

Although Generation Kill is about a war and a moment in history, it is more about the men who experience it. This was definitely an ensemble drama, and the acting was phenomenal. Of course, I thought Alexander Skarsgård was the most brilliant of them all. (Note: I was so fascinated by this series that I watched all of the special features, and he was just like the actual Marine he played, as were many of the other men. In fact, on of the 1st Recon Marines played himself!)

You know I love a good score, but in this series they clearly made a conscious choice to avoid scoring the series so as not to take away from the realism. Instead, picture a convoy of hardened Marines driving through the desert in humvees, singing together, a cappella. Songs like "Teenage Dirtbag," "Sk8er Boi," "Come Sail Away," "King of the Road," "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," "Fuck the Police," "Hot in Here," "Tainted Love," etc. The cast members did all the singing themselves, which further added to the realism.

I'm not going to say anything else about this series, because I don't feel like I can do it justice. The acting, the scenery, the incredible writing, the music, the shocking, gritty realism... And on top of all that, I learned a lot. This is an insanely good series. I found myself wishing there were many more than 7 episodes. I wanted to know what happened to these Marines after Baghdad, what happened to them in the time in between the scenes transferred to film, what happened to them after they went home. More than that, what happened to the Iraqi people they met in the line of duty?

Wonderful. I highly, highly recommend this series.

Rating: 4.0

Kill Your Darlings (2006, Sweden)

A Swedish film made in the States in English. A dark comedy / drama about a guy with writer's block who essentially allows himself to be kidnapped by an insane woman who wants to help him find his muse. A story within a story about two suicidal people and their handler en route to Vegas to meet up with their celebrity psychologist, who is actually using them for a sick reality show.

Clearly, this was a bizarre film.

However, it was also quite good. Trying to piece together the overlapping stories definitely kept my attention, as did trying to figure the motivation of the characters. And on the note of characters, I have to rave about my primary motivation for seeing this film, which of course would be the opportunity to see Alexander Skarsgård playing a suicidal transvestite. I usually try to avoid sounding like a fan girl, but he really is something. His performance was so subtle, an especially glowing adjective when you consider he is a giant, masculine, 6'4" sexy Swede in a skirt and heels and nail polish and eye shadow and a wig, and he seems as fragile, awkward, sweet, and shy as a 12-year-old girl. He was just beautiful, and though I'm probably biased, I thought he stole the show.

As I mentioned before, I liked trying to puzzle out what was going on and why. In trying to search for an ultimate meaning (a very difficult task), I finally decided it was simply about two road trips, but it was also about many characters fighting through depression and trying to identify their reasons for soldiering on through life. I watched the making of feature, and everyone from the writer to the actors struggled to answer the question "What is this film about?" So I figure my interpretation is as good as any.

I must end with a closing note on the score, as usual. This one was unique, and yet it reminded me of something I can't quite place. It used a lot of vibraphone (or it may have been marimba) and had a sort of steady and upbeat yet depressing feel. It is so hard to explain in words, but it fit the plot and tone of the film to a tee. If I've said it once, I've said it a million times, but a fitting score can really make or break a movie. It wasn't the only factor, but Jon Rekdal's score sure helped make this one.

I'm ready for some more Swedish film now, please, Netflix! To be more specific, I'm ready for some more Swedish film featuring Alexander Skarsgård...

Rating: 3.5