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Melancholia (2011)
A study in depression
I found Melancholia to be a remarkably honest look at depression: haunting, troubling, difficult to watch, yet impossible to turn away from. The backdrop of a wedding was brilliant because it was a natural way of bringing together different segments of the family--both those who had helped shape the main character Justine (played by Kirsten Dunst) and those who were being affected by her condition, like the sister, Claire, who was trying to care for her. I was captivated by Dunst's portrayal, how at times her depression literally affected her ability to move physically.
I also found it to be an interesting yet realistic irony that at the climax of the film where the other characters were beginning to panic, Justine somehow found a place of peace and became a source of strength for the others. Having known people who were clinically depressed, I have seen this type of role reversal before. It seems safe to say that writer/director Lars von Trier has created a very true-to-life depiction of depression, and brought it to light by framing it in an extraordinary set of circumstances. Not to mention that the film is beautifully shot.
Jeune Fille (2013)
Beautiful, haunting and captivating
Jeune Fille is a beautiful short film that in my opinion carries the emotional depth of a full- length. Within the first moments, I was captivated by the melancholy of main character, Sophia (played by Luba Bocian), and found myself continually wondering what she was thinking until the climax of the film. Likewise, Miles Wartes plays the character of Adam, who has only one spoken dialog scene, but whose presence on screen is lingering and impactful.
The cinematography is beautiful and artful, shot mostly in black-and-white, and the writer/director Joshua McQuilkin utilizes non-linear storytelling to carry the viewer along, which is quite a remarkable undertaking for a short film. Juene Fille is accentuated by a beautiful and haunting score, which carries the emotion along and at times feels perfectly timed to key moments within the film.
This is on many levels an art film, tipping its cap to French New-Wave filmmaking. It relies heavily on minimal dialog, non-verbal communication and subtlety to convey the story, so viewers looking for a straight-line plot are more likely not to "get it" the first time around. But those who enjoy films that make them think, ponder and discuss are likely to find this film delightful.
The Artist (2011)
Innovative and emotional
First of all...I loved the very idea of doing a silent film in 2011, although I wondered if the director could carry it off. To my delight, he did. The actor's feelings and emotions were easily conveyed through the film without being campy, and I thought John Jujardin and Berenice Bejo were simply brilliant in their roles.
If if there was one thing about the film that bothered me, I think it would be how similar the story line felt to "Singin' In the Rain", which is one of my favorite films. It wasn't exactly the same, but it felt like a bit of a re-telling. Also, because the theme music from "Vertigo" is so incredibly familiar to me, I felt distracted when it started playing on the soundtrack ("hey, that doesn't belong there!). But beyond that, I was taken in from beginning to end. The Artist absolutely earned its Oscars.