Recent Reviews for Dancer in the Dark
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MCT:August 4, 2008Depressing, depressing, depressing. Downbeat fu**ing movie. This film almost brought tears to my eyes. Such a gloomy, cold and dreadful feeling throughout. Björk does an amazing job in this, giving us a heartbreaking and emotional performance. Everything in this film plays off very realistically, from the cinematography(which was shot digital) to the flawless acting, almost playing off like Larry Clark's "Kids"(in terms of realism and camera work). Dancer in the Dark is part musical, part drama. The singing, unlike most musicals, never for one second takes away from the realism, as for it's all just a part of Selma's(played by Björk) imagination. Selma's only escape for a moment of happiness is through her music, and only for a moment of singing are we, the audience, brought to a brighter side of the story...and then BAM! When the signing stops we're brought back to reality...a cold, damp and dreary place that is not the least bit pleasant. And if you think the whole beginning of this film is bad, just wait until you see the ending. A complete and total shocker to say the least.
"Selma has emigrated with her son from Central Europe to America. The year is 1964. Selma works day and night to save her son from the same disease she suffers from, a disease that inevitably will make her blind. But Selma has the energy to live because of her secret! She loves musicals. When life feels tough she can pretend that she is in the wonderful world of musicals...just for a short moment. All happiness life is not able to give her she finds there?"
Although a tough and very depressing movie I still highly recommend this film.
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MCT:July 29, 2008While a pioneer in it's field (tragic musical, anyone?), really just a pain to sit through. Although Bjork is delightfully nutters.
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MCT:July 22, 2008Directed by: Lars Von Trier.
Starring: Bjork, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse, Peter Stormare.
<< "You know, when I used to work in the factory, I used to dream that I was in a musical...because in a musical, nothing dreadful ever happens." >>
The story follows a Czech women who moves to America with her 12 year old son, expecting everything to be like a Hollywood film. Her life is for music and she absolutely loves American musicals, but also loves her country and has only moved to America to get an operation for her son so that he doesn't go blind like she is. But when a trusted neighbor falsely accuses her of something, she soon realizes that nothing is as the way she imagines it.
This is the first time I think I have ever said this, but this is one of the first films I have ever seen in my life where I think I will find hard to ever watch again. The film was not at all what I expected and came completely out of left field...but I loved it.
Part musical, part tragedy. A rather bizarre mix that is nowhere near conventional. Shot on a few hundred cameras and masterfully edited, the film remains quiet, yet powerful throughout the first two acts aside from a few musical numbers. Its a small little character study about a woman with a large imagination who really does not see the way the world is around her and simply daydreams, thinking that it is all like it is in movies, but she soon realizes its not.
Lars Von Trier really is an astonishing filmmaker. Not quite so much an improvisation this time around as is many of his Dogme films, he does keep a rather standard hand-held style throughout and it really delivers the right mood for us to really grip onto the characters that quietly breath such life into the film...and from there, around the nicely transitioned musical numbers, the film picks away at melodrama and simply takes the characters you have so nicely come to like, take your heart out for show and beat it slowly until the disturbing end, but never in a way to hate them for it.
Bjork is simply perfect and I can't believe that I never knew she had such talent. I for one had never heard much of her music and when I did, I hated it, never really taking much notice of what she was really saying...but now I can truly appreciate what she has to say. She is such a free spirit and really does an amazing job in her tailor-made role, charismatic and so likable, we really become gripped with her character and when the tragedy happens, she delivers herself on such a powerful level, I can see why she was quite traumatized by this experience, its truly gut wrenching but completely unforgettable.
I really hope that my review has said nothing about the film, because the best way to experience it is to go in blind. Dancer in the Dark is a beautifully quiet character study with some nice little musical numbers and an astonishing performance by Bjork...and as long as you can endure the way the film goes, then it is worth it. As much as I will find it hard to ever watch this film again, its a film I never want to forget and will see many times more.
<< "You know when the camera goes really big...and the camera goes like out of the roof...and you just know it's going to end. I hate that. I would leave just after the next to last song...and the film would just go on forever." >>
<< "They say it's the last song. They don't know us, you see. It's only the last song if we let it be." >> -
MCT:July 19, 2008Lars Von Trier most powerful and depressing masterpiece. So human, and so believable and unbelievable at the same time. Go Bjork! Go Bjork!Hunting... hunting...
98/100 -
MCT:July 10, 2008
Wow, I didn't think I'd get a new favorite musical after Once. Does this even count as a musical? Who knows. What I know is that it was extremely touching and brilliantly played.
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MCT:July 7, 2008
WOW !! BJORK. What a great good ole fashioned disturbing movie with a disturbing lead character and a disturbed musician to play the part.
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MCT:July 6, 2008
Heartbreaking.
One of the saddest films I've laid my eyes upon. As well as being an amazing singer, Bjork really showed off her acting talent here. The hand held camera style of filming was also very unique.
Overall, a beautiful musical drama with great performances all round. -
MCT:June 30, 2008
Lars Von Treir & Bjork...the musical. It doesn't sound ilike it could work but it does, I don't like musicals but I find myself humming "Ive Seen It All", more than I'd like to admit. Bjorks voice and playful character are perfect compliment to Treir...(read more)'s brutal tragedy. Like Werner Herzog's "Strozek" meets "Singing In The Rain", unforgettable.
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MCT:June 28, 2008
Tão triste que chega a dar raiva! Mas o filme é excelente, bem dirigido,trilha sonora adequada com coreografias que me lembram a broadway. Björk não poderia estar melhor. Recomendável!
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MCT:June 20, 2008
Lars Von Trier can be a little hard to swallow for some, but this movie reaches a level of artistic genius. The 100 camera musical sequences are extraordinary.
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MCT:May 21, 2008Winner of Best Film and Best Female Actress at Cannes amoung other awards, this strange moving film nearly brought me to tears a number of times. Somewhat long at 2 hrs and 20min, I was still held captive by this dynamic drama/musical. Sad and enlightening, a gem of a film.
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MCT:May 20, 2008Bjork is excellent, the story is compelling, but this movie is so depressing it may make you wish you had never seen it.
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MCT:May 16, 2008
It has Bjork in it of course Im going to rate it high! :)
Cried like a baby I wonder why I put myself through it sometimes... -
MCT:May 2, 2008
Beautiful and brilliant but depressing as hell. The ending so shocked me I remember sitting in my car for 10 minutes just trying to erase it from my mind.
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MCT:April 27, 2008
weird and depressing musical written and directed by lars von trier. i liked how some parts got so miserable yet out of nowhere there's suddenly a dance and a song about it! one of the most artistic films i've seen plus actually enjoyed. bjork was the star here
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MCT:April 18, 2008
me dio lata tanta idiotes humana, me jodio la siqui, la chika de esta mivie era carne para los leones, por cierto que se logra bien la fusiòn bjork y la banda sonora...
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MCT:April 2, 2008
One of the best movies I've ever seen...period. Spectacular and yet realist and heart-breaking at the same time.
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MCT:March 22, 2008
Björk incarnates the ideal Von Trier woman protagonist. Resigned, she is a good-hearted woman in a cruel world. And, heck! Her performance is fantastic!
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MCT:March 22, 2008
Nunca antes se había cantado con tanta fuerza en una película. Reflexión,dolor y buena música a cargo de una Björk en estado de gracia.
I've seen it all
I have seen the trees
I have seen the willow leaves
Dancing in the breeze
I've seen what I was
And I know what I'll be
I've seen it all
There is no more to see
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MCT:March 17, 2008
Gut wrenching, heartbreaking and truly moving.
Bjork's performance is sublime and La Deneuve is just beautiful as her dowdy best friend.
My kind of musical. -
MCT:March 5, 2008
Extraordinary musical, like no other I have seen before, and would be delighted to experience again.
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MCT:February 29, 2008
Not the best movie of Lars,yet it's a great musical.The songs are good,and Bjork is superb as singer and as actress.
A deep and original story,that shows all of Lars' talent. -
MCT:February 25, 2008
NOSSA! Lars Von Trier e as relações humanas. Amo Amo Amo. É um amor correspondido, tenho necessidade de sofrer assistindo filmes e Trier consegue fazer isso comigo.
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MCT:February 21, 2008
Selma es una madre soltera que se esta quedando ciega y trabaja en una fabrica. Su problema visual debe ser todo un secreto para el hijo y para la mayoria de la gente... ella no puede perder su trabajo en la fabrica, porque entonces, no juntaria el dinero suficiente para pagar la operacion de ojos de su hijo. En el momento menos esperado y abusando de su desventaja fisica, Selma es traicionada por quien menos la espera y una tragica historia comienza a hacerse cargo de la vida de esta pobre y solitaria mujer.
No puedo creer como Bjork no quiere volver a actuar despues de regalarnos una de las mejores actuaciones femeninas en la historia del cine en general. Es perfecta... conmovedora. -
MCT:February 19, 2008
:'( *sniff*... I dont have the right words right now, this movie left me too depressed. Although Im over it now, it was truly an amazing film. Listen to your heart, woahh chico that was awesome! This movie is one word, "unfair."
