Quite frankly, if it weren’t for the apocalyptic theme in this movie I might have never watched it. That being said, it did capture my interest in an odd way. You might be inclined to walk out of this movie during the first hour or so due to its slow nature, however, I think it is worth watching in its entirety. While I don’t normally comment on specific actors, Melancholia, which is written and directed by Lars von Trier, warrants some mention of the main cast. Kirstan Dunst plays Justine, a young, pretty, mentally ill woman who gets hopeless bogged down in depression and is borderline psychotic. Charlotte Gainsbourg does a remarkable job playing Justine’s sister, Claire. Kiefer Sutherland, taking a dramatic turn from the role of Jack Bauer, plays Claire’s husband, John, a wealthy and uptight amateur astronomer who owns the mansion and surrounding golf course where the story unfolds. Unlike in some other apocalyptic fiction, Von Trier does not rely on the “emergency alert system” or media elements to describe the cataclysmic events as they unfold – it is told almost entirely through the characters with minimal reference to any outside description. Melancholia, it turns out, is the name of a newly discovered planet, which scientists believe is going to come very close to earth in its trip through our solar system. It suffices to say that there is a slight “margin of error” in the scientist’s predictions. Melancholia is more like a work of art than an action movie. It is not blunt. It certainly has some depth and is thought-provoking. While I would not recommend this movie to anyone that has a low tolerance for slow-moving movies, Melancholia does have some unique, indefinable rewards for those that are willing to invest their time and attention.