Dear Reader: Update, Movie Review Intelligence will
continue publishing this website through June (more...)
Search a Movie:
MELANCHOLIA (2011)Movie Reviews
Dramatic science fiction story of two sisters' reactions to the approaching collision of planet Melancholia with Earth. Cast:Kirsten Dunst, Alexander Skarsgård, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlotte Gainsbourg, John HurtDirector:Lars von TrierRelease Date:November 11, 2011DVD Release:March 13, 2012From:MagnoliaLength:2 hr 10 min
Melancholia (2011) played in key cities to excellent reviews that at the same time were mixed. • Christy Lemire wrote for the Associated Press, "Depression finally seems to have brought out the best in Lars von Trier... a devastatingly beautiful, operatic mixture of all his signature themes and visual schemes." • And Ty Burr called the film in the Boston Globe, "...a gorgeous, boring bummer." More Reviews Below...
Alynda Wheat, People: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) " 'Melancholia's' first half is intriguing.... Director Lars von Trier paints a pretty tableau, but it beats me what he's trying to say."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 116 words, 11/10/11
Richard Corliss, Time: OUTSTANDING "...amazing and confounding... borderline-brilliant... visually rewarding as anything in modern movie creation, but it falls flat in behavioral acuity."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,352 words, 11/11/11
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Lars von Trier's strongest work in a while, a devastatingly beautiful, operatic mixture of all his signature themes and visual schemes."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 771 words, 11/10/11
Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Warning: This harrowing end-of-the-world masterpiece unfolds with such high tension, it's almost unbearable to watch. Watch anyway."(See all of Mara Reinstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 78 words, 11/10/11
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a moving masterpiece... acutely attuned to feelings of despair that nevertheless leaves the viewer in a state of ecstasy."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 464 words, 05/18/11
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Kirsten Dunst's incomparable performance, a slow accumulation of moods from despair to euphoria, never strikes a false note."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 345 words, 11/11/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...here is a character who says, I see it coming, I will face it, I will not turn away, I will observe it as long as my eyes and my mind still function."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 940 words, 11/11/11
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a rich motion picture, full of nuances. Unfortunately, in his pursuit of an artistic vision, von Trier has thrown logic, physics, and coherence out the window."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 941 words, 11/08/11
we have an app for when you're out and about
get our iPhone app... or get our mobile web app...
movie review intelligence
NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...from the sad to the sublime by way of the preposterous... it nonetheless leaves behind a glow of aesthetic satisfaction."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,115 words, 11/11/11
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...one of the year's most emotionally resonant art movies.... as essential for serious filmgoers this year as 'The Tree of Life.' "(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 589 words, 11/11/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...here is a character who says, I see it coming, I will face it, I will not turn away, I will observe it as long as my eyes and my mind still function."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 940 words, 11/11/11
J. Hoberman, Village Voice: EXCELLENT "...an experiential movie, wondering (among other things) how doomsday might feel.... when I left the theater, I felt light, rejuvenated and unconscionably happy."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 607 words, 05/18/11
Radheyan Simonpillai, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "It's a little disjointed, but 'Melancholia' overcomes that weakness with a stellar cast and celestial images that burn themselves into your memory."(See all of Radheyan Simonpillai's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 214 words, 11/10/11
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...it could have been all over the map, but Kirsten Dunst inhabits this young woman - Justine, an ad agency up-and-comer - as if she has known her all her life."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 278 words, 10/21/11
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...hard to watch and difficult to forget.... Kirsten Dunst displays new maturity.... The supporting cast is top-rank..."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 398 words, 11/23/11
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a hauntingly beautiful meditation on depression that is as likely to exasperate as many people as it moves.... an intense, exhausting experience."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 651 words, 12/02/11
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "Lars von Trier is so certain of his misery that his films run the risk of turning smug. His blues are better than yours, and 'Melancholia' is a gorgeous, boring bummer."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 593 words, 11/11/11
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...von Trier's own ideas are so huge - at least to him - that the heroines in his movies aren't full human beings but just paper dolls, made to be manipulated."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 574 words, 11/11/11
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "...all the virtues of 'Melancholia' are original and interesting. Meanwhile, its flaws are so typical and pedestrian."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 558 words, 11/11/11
John Hartl, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...it's easier to watch than von Trier's previous disaster epic, 'Antichrist'... John Hurt and Charlotte Rampling make an especially volatile ex-couple..."(See all of John Hartl's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 324 words, 11/18/11
Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "The cast is nearly flawless, and we haven't even mentioned the marvelous John Hurt and Charlotte Rampling as Justine's messed-up parents."(See all of Marc Mohan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 512 words, 12/02/11
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: POOR(cg) "...could be paired with Terrence Malick's 'The Tree of Life' in a double feature of gorgeous tedium and vague, aimless ideas."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 333 words, 12/01/11
J. Hoberman, Village Voice: EXCELLENT "...an experiential movie, wondering (among other things) how doomsday might feel.... when I left the theater, I felt light, rejuvenated and unconscionably happy."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 607 words, 05/18/11
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "Here's what we learn from 'Melancholia': life sucks, people are awful, we're all going to die, and good riddance. Who says Lars von Trier doesn't like happy endings?"(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 159 words, 11/10/11
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...isn't nearly as somber as its title would lead you to believe, and it's so beautiful to look at that it feels decadent, almost luxurious."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,148 words, 05/18/11
Ed Gonzalez, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "...a film of few epiphanies and even fewer insights... it reflects the nihilistic world view of its maker, in this case von Trier's depressed view of life as not worth living."(See all of Ed Gonzalez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 902 words, 09/24/11
Radheyan Simonpillai, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "It's a little disjointed, but 'Melancholia' overcomes that weakness with a stellar cast and celestial images that burn themselves into your memory."(See all of Radheyan Simonpillai's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 214 words, 11/10/11
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: VERY GOOD "...the tone can be pretentious, even silly. But it's disarmingly earnest at the same time, and rendered in such stunning images..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 549 words, 11/11/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...from the sad to the sublime by way of the preposterous... it nonetheless leaves behind a glow of aesthetic satisfaction."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,115 words, 11/11/11
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: EXCELLENT "Even if you loathe von Trier, and whatever the weather, please resist the lure of video on demand and go see 'Melancholia' at the cinema where it belongs."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 939 words, 10/31/11
Bob Mondello, NPR: OUTSTANDING "The first eight minutes of 'Melancholia' is so breathtaking, it's hard to imagine how the director can possibly follow it. Think of it as an overture..."(See all of Bob Mondello's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 590 words, 11/11/11
Dana Stevens, Slate: MODERATE "This is a hard movie to forget.... the audience are the ultimate lab animals for these experiments, and I'm not sure what we're being sacrificed to prove."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,665 words, 11/11/11
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: OUTSTANDING "...mind-blowing... doomsday looms as a planet hurtles toward Earth, but as in all great science fiction, this fantastical premise allows the artist to play sociologist."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,042 words, 05/18/11
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: WEAK "...turns the end of the world into a bit of a bore... provides not an ounce of comfort or redemption, nor does it offer characters or ideas with which to meaningfully engage..."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,035 words, 05/18/11
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: EXCELLENT(cg) "...at times, comes perilously close to being a shallow serio-comic melodrama... At others, it evokes the spiritual and lyrical sensibility of Andrei Tarkovsky..."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 535 words, 09/07/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...from the sad to the sublime by way of the preposterous... it nonetheless leaves behind a glow of aesthetic satisfaction."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,115 words, 11/11/11
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: VERY GOOD "...the tone can be pretentious, even silly. But it's disarmingly earnest at the same time, and rendered in such stunning images..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 549 words, 11/11/11
23.8 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Melancholia (2011)'s reviews are separated by an average 23.8 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Melancholia (2011) (49 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Melancholia (2011)'s reviews cover 98.2% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 31,824 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 650 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 20 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Melancholia (2011)'s reviews on average broke 20 days before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Melancholia (2011)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Melancholia (2011) (49 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
Mobile Web App version 1.2 shows a list of all current movies and review information. You can click through to the cast, director, synopsis, release date and rating on page two, plus individual reviews on page three. The information is updated on a live/real-time basis. You can also search our database of films. Designed for when you're on the move and want the latest info, this app will work on any mobile web browser. From your mobile device -- only from a mobile device -- open our Mobile Web App here...
