“A grieving couple retreat to ’Eden’, their isolated cabin in the woods, where they hope to repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage. But nature takes its course and things go from bad to worse…”

Oh, that’s Antichrist in a nutshell for you, but that’s not Antichrist at all if you’re expecting some weepy blockbuster weekend grossing drama straight out of the Hollywood genre playbook (silver linings version). Then again, if you know Lars von Trier’s work, you know you’re not getting anything you “expect” and in fact, going in blind is the best way to enjoy any of his films. That said (and speaking of blind), after watching this one, you’ll probably want to remove your eyes and boil them for a few minutes. That said, if you happen to see this one with people who tend to over-think too much about movies or relationships you can expect have a hell of a conversation afterwards about all sorts of things…

Rather than cover the plot (you REALLY need to sit down and watch this for yourself), I will say this is another beautiful looking film with stunning imagery to spare. The grieving couple’s grief is due to a shocking event that results in a death, but their “cure” is far worse an ordeal to watch as it unfolds. There’s a certain matter of fact presentation to it all that’s mildly amusing (well, until the violence starts up), but this is a film where a talking fox in the midst of disemboweling itself turns to the camera and says “Chaos reigns.”, which will either make you laugh out loud or curl up under the sofa for the rest of the film. Picking up scissors and other tools may become a bit tough after watching some scenes and couples with clingy halves may want to avoid this entirely, as I can see “is this supposed to be me?” popping up first as a question after all is said and done.

If you’re a bit of a cinema nut, you’ll pick up references here from Nicholas Roeg’s incredible (and still unsettling) Don’t Look Now, as well as Andrzej Żuławski’s even more freaky, disturbing Possession (both briefly touched on elsewhere on this site). Like those films, the director gets outstanding performances from his actors that could even be seen as career highlights in some respects. Granted, with Willem Dafoe you’re always going to get something memorable and Charlotte Gainsbourg is no stranger to the strange character at all. That said, von Trier’s direction, some stunning cinematography and fantastic use of sound and music pull you in from the beginning and keep you hooked in the eye until the finale. Unless you passed out during a certain sequence (snip, snip)…

Anyway, go check this out if you’ve a strong stomach, stronger eyes and a really good comedy to watch afterwards to wash this down. It’s not for everyone (and seriously, don’t even think about showing this to kids!), but it’s a hell of a trip on a few fronts…