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NUXX Sings About DANCER IN THE DARK!!
SPOILER ALERT !!
Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with a review that was sent in by one of our overseas readers, NUXX. I'm dying to get a look at this movie, and it delights NUXX to no end to see something before I did. While I grumble and curse his name, check out what he has to say...
Hello Moriarty.
I had the pleasure of watching the premiere of Lars Von Triers latest epic
last night, and? Well?
Let me first say this is a great movie. It is... really. Von Trier deserves his Palme d´Or for this.
But before I delve into my praise, here's the story:
The female immigrant Selma from Czechoslovakia (Björk) lives in the rural
US in the sixties. She suffers from an eye-disease that day by day is decreasing her sight, but she hides her handicap since she´s working at a factory to save up money for an eye operation, not for herself, but for her son who has the same disease. She has only two passions in life: Her son, whom she loves above all else, and old B&W musicals that are her only escape from her harsh everyday life. Her best friend and mother figure Kathy (Catherine Deneuve in a great role here) supports her in every way she can, helping her conceal her blindness at the factory and explaining what´s happening on the screen when they watch musicals together at the local cinema. Selma is romanced by Jeff (Peter Stomare, underused but very convincing) who´s not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, but nevertheless has nothing but deep and true feelings for her. But Selma has no room for such feelings, her thoughts are always with her son and his disease, and there is no room for a man in her life. Selma and her son live together in a trailer in the backyard of the local town cop Bill (David Morse who really shines in this role) and his dimwitted wife Jean (Cara Seymour), who believes that Bill is extremely wealthy.
Selma and Bill are good friends, but Bill is having trouble making enough
money to satisfy his wife´s luxurious needs. He´s desperate. Selma´s hard earned money for her sons operation suddenly comes into the play. Tragedy ensues. No spoilers here, since the rest of the story is crucial for the experience of this movie.
This is not a great movie in the traditional sense of course, since Von
Trier demands A LOT of the viewer. You´d better believe that this movie is not made within the traditional tight boundaries of the usual Hollywood template. Von Trier has his very own special way of telling this story... its like hearing a bedtime story from that uncle you really like, but who has a serious alcohol problem that makes him irritating to listen to sometimes, but on the other hand makes him brutally honest.
This movie is just that. Brutally honest. And let me just say here that the camera is also held by that drunk uncle i was talking about. Von Trier has chosen to use the same camera technique he used in Breaking The Waves, resulting in a sometimes confusing, but very realistic way of showing the viewer what´s going on. Its all shot on DV, but once you get used to the cheapish feel, it works. And the editing is going to make you either want to vomit or applaud Von Trier for taking such risks with his editing. Again, my opinion is that it works. Sometimes beautifully.
And yes, this IS a musical. But not one of those classic ones from the MGM
days of yore, but re-invented and downplayed. See, the song and dance is only used in Selmas fantasy/dream sequences, she´s using her fond memories of the musical form to escape from her dreadful life. This makes the movie realistic, and gives Björks character more depth. And Björk brings a lot to this movie. She is definitly not an actress, she is too much Björk to be anybody else, but Von Trier tailormade Selma´s character around Björk the person. Again, this works (apart from the fact that Björk accent is Icelandic with a whole lot of cockney British thrown in for good measure, the whole being Czech thing is NOT convincing). The music is composed by Björk herself, and uses samples of the noises from the scenery where the musical scenes take place (trains, factory sounds, etc.) for the groundbeat. People who like Björks music are really going to go straight from the cinema to the nearest Tower Records to get this soundtrack, its special, but gorgeous.
The story. Hmmmmm... well, the story is so-so. Sometimes things get a bit
confusing, but this is Selmas world were in, and she´s a victim of her
chaotic feelings which again is the gas for this films engine. The story goes
to a new level every time Selma acts on her feelings. And without giving too much away, this story does not have a Hollywood ending, not by a long shot. Von Trier is not at any time leaving any room for a happy ending. I mean, people started to cry half an hour before the movie ended for chrissakes! And before all you nay-sayers out there start yelling CHICK FLICK!, it's definitly not. This is most likely one of the darkest, bleakest movies ive seen in a long time, but as always in a Von Trier movie, its about real people in extraordinary situations. Its a celebration of life in its purest form (yes, i know im getting carried away here), and thats the reason people need to see this movie. Lars Von Trier will never work in Hollywood, nor does he want to. He´d rather get pour gasoline over his balls and set fire to them than work in
tinseltown. Hollywood stands for all that is evil for him, and thank god for that, he would never be allowed to make a movie like this there.
Aside from the fact that most people outside of Denmark only know Von Triers work through Breaking The Waves, The Idiots and The Kingdom (and hopefully also ELEMENT OF CRIME, my favorite) he is easily one of the most original filmakers living today. His movies are sometimes difficult to watch, but there is always something really extraordinary in there, somewhere. I fully recommend DANCER IN THE DARK to anyone out there who arent afraid of taking a chance with their movies. This one is definitly worth it.
The praise ends here.
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her video had a 2001 look to it, could you imagine kubrick makin a sci fi movie with today's CGI graphics? i don't think he would ever be satisfied
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This film is excellent. See it. Er...that
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It looks like a fascinating film, but definitely a tearjerker. I love Bjork and David Morse, so I'm there!!!
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Wah. This film is so good. I saw it a few weeks ago and have not stopped thinking about it. When I see another film, DANCER IN THE DARK is always transposed over the screen in my mind for at least part of the time. I feel like I'm walking around with a knife in my heart - just this constant dull pain from the experience. It's uncomfortable, but fantastic to feel and see and imagine these kinds of wonders Lars Von Trier is capable of committing. During much of the movie I'd get annoyed by the film style. The long bouts where nothing happens would prompt me to write off the film, then suddenly something amazing happens onscreen and more than anything the combination of pleasure and pain made a memorable movie synthesis. So far, it's my favorite film of the year, I can already hear that delicious score being played over and over at the Academy Awards. In a weird way, with all Von Trier's gimmicks and surrealistic flourishes, the key element that stands out in this film is how he has so perfectly realized this woman's tragedy. It's very similar to BREAKING THE WAVES, but the payoff is real and grounded and universal and devastating - very much delineating the boundaries of reality and fantasy. Get ready for the dull pain...
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bjork is cute
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I saw the preview last weekend and then got an advanced copy of the soundtrack called "Selmasongs." Most of the songs are quite beautiful, including "New World," which must be the film's final song. During the preview, a girlfriend of mine actually welled up with tears just at Bjork's little speeches. I read in a magazine that the cast and the crew cried on the set everyday because it is so relentlessly sad. I love movies that take a chance like this. Cant't wait to see it.
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Like the others here who were devastated by this film, at a NY screening of jaded indie film crowd, we all shuffled out of that screening room like we got hit by an atom bomb. We did..it's name is Bjork. Mark my words, she'll be getting an Oscar nomination, if not Best Actress for this. Her distinctive face could have been in silent films, it's that effective. And that voice, and her usual original sounding songs. They make this film soar, even at its saddest moments. I never say this about 99% of films, even films that I liked a lot, but I can't wait to see it again! An original movie musical shot with Digital Video. A nice harbinger for the new century: taking a lost art form, the movie musical, and remounting it with the latest revolutionary filmmaking equipment. All I can say is...get ready, folks!
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I was lucky enough last night to catch one of the preview screenings of DANCER IN THE DARK in London. The film is released here on Friday.
After hearing about its accolades at the Cannes Film Festival, and being a fan of both Bjork's music and Lars Von trier's BREAKING THE WAVES, I was eager to see it. BUT, in no way was I prepared for the emotional force this film delivered.
Bjork is incredible. For someone not trained as an actor, her performance should stand as an acting lesson for anyone out there aspiring to give as raw and devastating a performance as this. She is amazing. Her performance is on a par with Emily Watson's in Breaking the Waves. The reason why she won't get as much recognition as Watson is because she's Bjork, we know where she's coming from and her history as a singer. Emily watson was a surprise as few people outside of the Uk had heard of her.
In a couple of scenes, she broke my heart. A scene in the middle, involving a gun (I won't give away any spoilers) is incredible. Watching her, you feel her guilt, but understand fully why she is doing what she has to do. She is amazing, especially as she torments herself during the scene. The ending is full of a powerful, emotional force I've never felt in a movie before.
The musical numbers are a bit weird at first, but they're full of originality and a nice departure from the bleakness of the film's subject matter. Bjork is a delight in these scenes - her face and body coming alive and releasing itself from the daily humdrum of her difficult life.
I had a couple of small problems with the film. Problems which in no way detracted from the way I felt about the movie.
There are some actors in this world who have too much public-persona-baggage attached to them that i think it's difficult to shake while watching them on screen. This is true of Catherine deneuve in this film. She is outstanding, although I found her all-too-glamorous, Yves St Laurent-muse persona getting in the way of her role as a factory worker (since when did a factory worker look like she'd had plastic surgery done around the lip area?).
But that's just a small point.
I'd heard that when DANCER IN THE DARK was announced as the Best Picture winner at Cannes, the audience both cheered and boo-ed. It's no secret that this movie divides audiences. You'll either be completely, totally and utterly moved by it, or you'll think it's an over-the-top piece of crap, unable to digest the musical numbers. At my screening, some people walked out, yet others had to be comforted by their partners, the emotional ride was just too much to bear. Bjork's pain too much to take.
This film is incredible. OK, some of the musical numbers were a little over-the-top and take a bit of getting used to, but it was an original concept and certainly brightened up some of the bleak dampness of the film.
Will Bjork be nominated for an Oscar? Let's hope so. Her performance is so raw, so heartfelt; it's difficult to not feel for this woman's pain. So incredible. Let's hope she's recognised by the Academy.
You definitely should see this film. It's one of the year's most original movies, with one of the most breathtaking performances I've ever seen.
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