Melancholia

Written and Directed by Danish film-maker Lars von Trier (whom you may remember from ‘Breaking the Waves’, ‘Dancer in the Dark’ and ‘Dogville’ starring Nicole Kidman) this 2011 Sci-Fi/Drama was quite symbolical, artfully shot and leaves the audience depressed out of their minds. Filmed in two parts signifying the decaying relationship of two sisters, this film not only is thought-provoking but unfolds as slow as if we were there ourselves.

Starring Kirsten Dunst, Swedish Alexander Skarsgard, and English Charlotte Gainsbourg, it was a show of immense and intense acting skills amidst the gorgeous and opulent sets. Rated R for graphic nudity, sexual content and language, you’d want to keep the children away - not that they’d have much interest to stay around - this film is slow-paced and taps at our minds with brewing intent. With a run-time of 136 minutes, and an approximate $7 million USD budget; this film befuddled viewers and only brought in $3 million USD, but it won the hearts of critics and awards world-wide; receiving 31 wins and another 46 nominations.

Be sure you’re in a good place mentally when you watch this one; it seeps its way in with hundreds of un-answered questions, yet cleverly and superbly leaves us with metaphors, poetry and allegorical meaning.

Upside Down

I love cerebral fantasy dramas and had heard about this one last year starring dimpled Kirsten Dunst and phenomenal English Jim Sturgess (whom you may recall from ‘Cloud Atlas’ among others). This 2012 romance written and directed by Argentine Juan Solanas and with a budget of $60 million USD garnered many raised and confused eye-brows, no nominations or awards and a huge fail at the box-office. It was quite similar and had hints of the movie ‘Inception’.

With a run-time of 100 minutes and loads of CGI, it was a simple enough story between two lovers separated by two worlds with a tiny or perhaps colossal ‘flip-side’. Thrilling at many moments, wonderful cinematography and the audience feels for our main character Sturgess who plays ‘Adam’; however disappointed with the end as they jumped ahead and left many un-answered questions of how things became suddenly okay.

Still I found things to be a little predictable…Adam, Eden (surprising not Eve), disparaging worlds and  a love that’s so close but beyond reach. What did you really think would happen?

Bachelorette

2011 brought us the hit-comedy 'Bridesmaids' and in 2012 Leslye Headland who wrote and directed this film thought it'd be smart to make a film very similar to it and cash in on it's crazy charm. What makes a film that's already been done just as decent? Star actress' of course and maybe also a crazy airplane scene! This 2012 comedy-romance gave us American beauties Kirsten Dunst and Lizzy Caplan, Aussie funny-gal Rebel Wilson and Omanian-born Aussie-raised wacky red-head Isla Fisher.

Amid the expected chaos, our main characters learn more about themselves and what they truly want in life. Becky's (played by Wilson) big day puts things in perspective for her friends and pivots them into taking a closer look at their lives. These girls were joined with other cast mates like, Hayes MacArthur whom you may remember from 'Life as We Know It' and 'She's Out of my League', Kyle Bornheimer from 'You Again', the handsome and talented James Marsden who's film career is too much to mention as well as Adam Scott whom you may remember from 'Step Brothers', 'Knocked Up' and 'The Aviator'.

Rated R for it's similar sexual content, pervasive language and extensive drug-use as brought the giggles in 'Bridesmaids', this $3 million USD budget did not make it back at the box-office. Good attempt at trying to make another genius film - but unfortunately - that was already achieved and achieved rather brilliantly. Though good acting, 'Bridesmaids' was genuine improv and fantastic chemistry on screen with friends; I felt that 'Bachelorette' was more acting and a tad bit 'teen-shallow'.