As Forest Gump once said “Lars is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” Well, ok, I’ve taken a little artist licence there but the statement still holds true. Slightly mad Danish filmmaker Lars Von Trier recently unleashed upon the world his latest work, Melancholia, at the Cannes Film Festival.  And now we have the first trailer online.

Melancholia looks to have a very similar visual styling to that of his last film, Antichrist. A good thing. Will it create the same level of controversy Antichrist did, with scenes of extereme sexual violence? Apparently not. A very good thing.

However, it wouldn’t be a Von Trier film with out a little controversy. Lars decided that this time around he would create controversy offscreen by announcing at a Cannes Film Festival press Conference that he believed he was a Nazi – for which he (not the film) got thrown out of the festival. Oh Lars, you crazy little man.

That didn’t stop the film’s lead, Kirsten Dunst, winning best actress at the festival though and the film getting generally good reviews. Check out the trailer below.

Lars Von Trier is definitely an interesting character but, like him or hate him (and his films), he’s an incredibly talented filmmaker. He has no fear when it comes to expressing on screen what he wants to show and often does this in very unique ways. Does he always get it right? No. But that doesn’t mean his films shouldn’t be on your ‘I should check that out’ list. Ok, I’m party justifying to myself why I have to go see it – knowing full well that the mates I drag along to it could easily decide afterwards never to see another film with me again. Having said that, the mate I saw Antichrist with is still a friend – although I’m not sure what that says about his mental state (or mine for that matter).

Anyway, here’s the trailer. Enjoy!

In Melancholia, two sisters find their relationship challenged as a nearby planet threatens to collide into the Earth.

Directed by Lars Von Trier, the film has an all-star cast including Kirsten Dunst (Spiderman), Charlotte Gainsbourg (Antichrist), Alexander Skarsgard (Zoolander), Brady Corbet (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Cameron Spurr, Charlotte Rampling (Swimming Pool), Jesper Christensen (Casino Royale), John Hurt (Alien), Stellan Skarsgard (Good Will Hunting), Udo Kier (Dancer in the Dark), and Kiefer Sutherland (Phonebooth and TV’s 24).

Melancholia opens around Europe in May, the UK in September and the US in November – so who knows when us Kiwis will get to see it. The international film festival perhaps?

Dare I ask if anyone out there is a huge Lars Von Trier fan?