DANCER IN THE DARK
Do you like to indulge in
Bjork-ness for long periods of time? Do you love to watch people do
things on screen that you'd never do in their situation? Do you want to
feel nauseous for 2 hours of unsteady camera shots? If you answered yes
to any one of those questions, then this movie's most certainly for
you. I'll admit: it was well-done, it was effective and emotional, I
was in tears at the end, but I didn't need to see this movie. Like
Bjork's character, I too can relate to daydreaming as well as listening
to sounds and rhythms that exist in life, imagining songs to go along
with them. Don't let anybody tell you this is a "musical." In a
musical, there are happy endings and more than one character has songs.
["West Side Story" is considered more of a Modern Opera than a Musical.]
Since Bjork is the lead singer in every song in this film, 'Dancer' is
better classified as an extended music video. If you love Bjork and
don't mind watching something completely self-indulgent then it won't
be as stomach-turning as it was for me. After watching this film, I
honestly wouldn't care if I never saw her face or heard her voice ever
again. She's got two emotions: one is of deep melodramatic sadness and
the other one is of that little girl looking at the big world through
bright star-filled eyes. That's IT! There's nothing more to her
character. Catherine Deneuve's extensive career has a long line of
wonderful performances, showcasing many abilities - here however her
role completely puts the esteemed actress to waste. I've never walked
out of a film and I was seriously considering leaving after about an
hour. By the time she shot and killed her neighbor, Bill, I knew I made
the wrong decision in staying. I recommend this film for all Bjork fans
because something about her aura just drives people to go insane and
kill themselves. Cheers!