Melancholia

Did you see the movie Melancholia? It's great. Probably my favorite film from last year. (But last year saw the release of Green Lantern! - you. I know, but the heart wants what the heart wants.) It has a really interesting and accurate depiction of depression. Kirstin Dunst is a depressed bride who wanders around her wedding, disappearing at will, quitting her job, fucking a guest and finally ditching her brand new husband. It's very real in the way it shows that depression is a serious condition for the sufferer who is not in control of her actions which she can't explain let alone understand, but it's also a giant pain in the ass for everybody else who lives in a world where rules govern behavior and breaking those rules has consequences. Very good. Very real. (Less real is the idea the ultra handsome charming Alexander Skarsgard would settle for depressive Kirstin Dunst, but at least she's not a buck-toothed psychic bobble-head. Skarsgard is making a career out of onscreen couplings way below his league. Just saying.) The second half of the movie deals with -spoiler alert - a giant planet smashing into Earth and totally destroying it. After the depression wedding, the end of all life as we know it is actually the less harrowing part of the film. Anyway, before -spoiler alert - the giant planet smashes into Earth and totally destroys it, it just floats by and everyone (Kiefer Sutherland is everyone) watches it and is super impressed and says "Wow, that was cool. I told you not to worry." Then the planet does a loop and ends up -spoiler alert - smashing into Earth and destroying it anyway. (This is a great review. I know. I should write for the Hollywood Reporter. Just send my contract to awesomereviewer@salientgreen.awesome) My point (yes, Virginia, there is a point!) is that right now I feel like maybe we are at that point after the giant planet has flown by but before -spoiler alert - it smashes into Earth and destroys everything. Spain got it's bailout this weekend. Yay! 100 billion euros (that's a real number) for incompetent and corrupt bankers to fix their incompetent and corrupt banks. A round of drinks for everybody! (But only Don Simon brand wine in a box. We're on austerity here.) The markets, ever wise, always reliable, have rallied at the news that 100 billion euros (again, that's a real number!) was thrown at incompetence and corruption to make it better. Hopefully you can make some of your Facebook money back. Greek elections next weekend. Happy fake ending, everybody!