Lars von Trier’s film about depression and the end of the world is divided into two parts. Almost the entire first half of the movie concerns itself with the wedding of Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Michael (Alexander Skarsgard) at the ultra lavish estate of her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and John (Kiefer Sutherland). The house (almost a castle really) has a stable full of horses, a full golf course and is surrounded by a giant forest. The wedding itself is one very long series of disasters and embarrassments. The bride’s parents are each a mess in their own way: father (John Hurt) is a flirtatious drunk and mother (Charlotte Rampling) is bitter and openly hostile towards the idea of marriage. Justine’s boss uses part of his toast to assign her a piece of work during the ceremony. And Justine herself floats around with increasing mopiness. By wedding’s end, everything’s gone to hell. And that’s before the giant planet from which the movie takes its title begins to hurtle towards the Earth.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzD0U841LRM]