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Review: Fragment By Warren Fahy

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:30:00 +0100

By: Chris Roberts. Almost exactly a year ago Michael Crichton, famed science fiction author, tragically passed away causing dad's everywhere much consternation. Who, they wondered, could possibly step in and provide them with trashy sci-fi stories sprinkled with bits of hard science factoids with as much skill as Crichton? Well, with the publication of Fragment, the debut novel of Warren Fahy, the race to replace him has officially begun. And if you're going to launch your career off the back of another book then a nonchalant rip-off of Jurassic Park is as good of place as any to start. The adventure begins when a group of self-absorbed reality TV stars, who are filming their nautical trip around the world for a show called SeaLife, stumble across a mysterious island that has remained totally isolated for hundreds of millions of years. The crew find out rather quickly that this ecosystem is filled with blood thirsty creatures that have never been seen before by man. Fahy as a writer seems to be about on par with Crichton although he still needs to learn to control his flights of fancy. A massive percentage of this book is gobbled up with intricate yet confusing descriptions of creatures that go by names such as "Spiger" and "Shrimpanzee." He even includes sketches of a few in case your imagination doesn't want to do the work for you. Clearly Fahy had a blast in coming up with these monsters and letting them loose on human prey, but frolicking around in your own little world rarely makes for great literature. It is uncertain if the rest of his writing is just not up to snuff, or if he was trying to dumb the book down for a particular audience, but the story feels childish and lacks significant depth. This is his first book, remember, so we're going to cut him some slack, but if he expects to survive in this industry he's going to have to sharpen his tools. Also competing for page space are two rival scientists. Geoffrey is a commitment phobic sensationalist who has been plugging his new theory that death is nature's way of preventing incest. Then there's Thatcher, more money making machine than respected authority, and a man with both eyes focused on winning a Pulitzer, even if that means sacrificing his credibility. His theory, rather more cynical, says that intelligent beings must destroy their ...

Review: Alaska State Troopers

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:28:00 +0100

By: Chris Roberts. Cops, the national phenomenon and ultimate coup for every resume building small time crook, has now been around for 20 years, yet only recently have the clones started to show themselves. Most recent is this little doozy from the NatGeo channel, Alaska State Troopers, a documentary show that manages to avoid that manufactured feel that has infiltrated most of reality TV. By employing a stern voiceover and a focus on education over sensationalism it feels classier for sure, but it is also predictably more of a drag to watch. Since not a “whole heckuva lot” happens up there the producers are cornered into expounding upon the bizarre laws of Alaska and exhibiting a preoccupation with the type of cars that the troopers drive. We've known for many years why most people choose not to live in the Last Frontier, but now we also have some idea as to why most TV shows tend to avoid the place as well. Since it is a show about cops and law enforcement and things of that nature there is a very prevalent top down worldview on display. For most, one would hope, there is no entertainment value in sitting around and watching a meathead cop tell a 19-year-old kid to "man up" and take responsibility for his "decisions" (i.e.: admit guilt to his alleged crime). They also have an odd strategy for dealing with censorship. At one point a drunken driver suffers a "really gnarly gash" on his forehead so they bend over backwards to make sure that every drop of blood is blurred out. Then, a few scenes later, they are more than happy to show us all the gory details as a moose is executed and then butchered in the middle of the road. That's fine, they can do whatever they want, but it remains uncertain if it actually makes any logical sense. There is also a lot of focus given to the intense training that the recruits must endure if they hope to one day become so lucky as to be called an Alaskan State Trooper. Many of the scenes are fresh and informative. Most people probably aren't aware that to become a trooper one must overcome a boot camp like experience during which some of the highlights include being belittled for making "victim noises," a severe mace spraying, and the joy of being dumped on an island

Hot Shot: Cindy Crawford Goes For A Ride

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Cindy Crawford cycling along Malibu Beach in California on Sunday afternoon. She later enjoyed a beach picnic with her his husband Rande Gerber. (Photo: WENN)

News: Carrey Beats Jackson At B.O.

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Jim Carrey's "A Christmas Carol" took in $31 million beating out Michael Jackson's concert flick, "This Is It," shot before his death last June, at the weekend box office. Meanwhile, Cameron Diaz's "The Box" fizzled at #5. 1. A Christmas Carol, $31 million 2. Michael Jackson's This Is It, $14 million 3. The Men Who Stare at Goats, $13.3 million 4. The Fourth Kind, $12.5 million 5. Paranormal Activity, $8.6 million 6. The Box, $7.9 million 7. Couples Retreat, $6.4 million 8. Law Abiding Citizen, $6.2 million 9. Where the Wild Things Are, $4.2 million 10. Astro Boy, $2.6 million (Photo: WENN)

News: First Lady Visits Sesame Street

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

First Lady Michelle Obama will make a special appearance on the kid's program Sesame Street Tuesday to mark its 40th anniversary. She visits with Big Bird, who shares her larger stature, and advises Cookie Monster to grow an organic garden. Actress Cameron Diaz also makes a guest appearance but won't get to cross paths with the First Lady. (Photo: WENN)

Review: A Serious Man

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:18:00 +0100

By: Leah Roth. True to form the Cohen brother's latest film not only stretches the boundaries of modern day cinema but also unapologetically creates a world where the seemingly mundane is dissected to reveal a life that is anything but ordinary. Joel and Ethan Cohen expose the reality of middle-aged college physics professor Lawrence Gopnik by turning the darkly comic screws on a man struggling to come to terms with the recent turn of events. A Serious Man follows a Gopnik through several weeks of suburban Hell, where every aspect seems to fall miraculously apart. This catastrophe forces one man to come to terms with his own mortality, as well as the notion of whether or not a positive outcome can exist at the end of this tumultuous road. A Serious Man portrays a life-altering struggle to a place where faith and gratitude become the sustainable aspect in the life a seriously troubled man. The portrait of a devoted husband and father of two appropriately rebellious teenagers, Serious Man captures someone who relies on scientific knowledge, the stability of family, and Jewish tradition as a way to order the intricacies of daily life. As immediately as we are introduced to the weary yet content teacher, we are just as quickly thrust from a seemingly straightforward existence to a place where everything begins to slowly unravel as Larry's youngest son approaches his pressure filled Bar Mitzvah. After a short exploration into the world of ancient Judaism and Yiddish cultural comparison in the form a cinematic parallel, the film begins with the knowledge that Larry's once solid marriage is suddenly over. This marital crisis inevitably sets the stage for a series of unsettling instances, including a disgruntled student willing to take action against a less then satisfactory grade, and a socially reclusive family member played by Richard Kind unable to sustain enough motivation to leave his chosen couch cushion inside the Gopnik family home. The use of several relatively unknown actors gives the film a sort of raw edge that enables the audience to come to terms with the future of Larry Gopnik. This perfectly cast ensemble placed against the idiosyncratic details associated with the 1960's Jewish Americana leaves the audience able to sympathize with a good man in some very terrible circumstances. For once a film explores the world ...

News: Sarah Jessica: I Don't Hate Kim

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Sarah Jessica Parker is taking on rumors that she's at war with Sex and the City co-star Kim Cattrall. "I don't think anybody wants to believe that I love Kim. I adore her," Parker tells Elle magazine. "I wouldn't have done the movie without her. Didn't and wouldn't." She's also defending her decision to use a surrogate to carry her twin girls born in June. "It wasn't one or the other for us," she says. "We had explored, and continue to explore all options, and this one just happened first." (Photo: WENN)

News: Susan Boyle Goes 'Dancing'

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

YouTube sensation Susan Boyle, 48, is set to perform on ABC's Dancing with the Stars next week. Boyle, who became famous on Britain's Got Talent, where she came in second, will sing selections from her new CD, I Dreamed A Dream, out November 24. After being hospitalized for exhaustion after her 'Talent' run, Boyle moved back to her home in rural Blackburn, Scotland. (Photo: WENN)

Review: White Collar

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:25:00 +0100

By: Chris Roberts. Based on the fact that USA Network's only really breakout hit, Monk (seven years ago now), was a detective show, they are somewhat apprehensive about branching out into new creative territories. Characters are indeed welcome if they happen to be middle aged men (preferably white) who have eccentricities that help them with their profession and also happen to create a fun viewing experience. The latest effort at a sustainable clone being rolled out is White Collar, a slightly more cosmopolitan entry for them, which, when stripped to its essentials follows along the lines of Catch Me if You Can reformatted as a police procedural. Holding court is one Matt Bomer, a relative unknown, as Neal Caffrey. USA would have you believe that this "character" is worth your time because he is an art thief (sexy) who lands a get out of jail free card because he agrees to use his brilliant mind to help the FBI stop other con artists (presumably one per week). Oh, and as an added flourish they have added some baggage in the form of a lost love he is obsessed with finding. The longevity of the show will hinge upon whether or not audiences take to Bomer as a leading man. Not only does he have OC ready good looks and a natural charm but also he appears to be more than competent in holding down a large role. He's also paired with Tim DeKay as Peter Burke, the FBI agent who was responsible for sending him to jail now playing the role of his partner. Burke comes off as a royal bore, a man with a decent looking wife and a respectable job but whose personality has all the excitement one would expect to find in a government bureaucrat. About the only thing he's good at, at least in the pilot, is threatening to throw Caffrey back in the clink every time he steps out of bounds. It goes without saying that the straight-laced do-gooder has been used for generations to enhance the appeal of the suave bad boy, and White Collar employs that strategy to near perfection. The show kicks off its inaugural season with a typical yet intriguing headscratcher. A man carrying a boatload of worthless Snow White books is pulled off a plane and questioned because his cargo sent up a few red flags. After his supposed lawyer ...

Hot Shot: Mariah Carey Misses A Beat

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Mariah Carey walking down-most of-the stairs on a film set on Malibu Beach, California on Thursday afternoon. (Photo: WENN)

News: Lindsay Strikes Back At Dad

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Lindsay Lohan hit back at her father Michael Lohan via Twitter Thursday after he released embarrassing tearful voicemails from his daughter. "Its [sic] so sad that I even have to share this w/everyone, but I haven't had a real relationship w/Michael Sr. in years. That is the truth. Xox," Lindsay wrote. "I just hope I can show others how to be strong through times & to be able to stand up for yourself and loved ones no matter what!" (Photo: WENN)

News: McConaughey Turns 40

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Matthew McConaughey turned 40 Thursday and is sharing his refelctions over Twitter. "Cyber world… mcconaughey here, 40 years young today…," Matthew Tweeted. "Thanks to all for the birthday wishes and to the people that share the same birthday, glad you were born too. The 30's were good to me and I'm really looking forward to my 40's, cause I'm late bloomer. Got everything I need for a perfect 40th…a happy and healthy lady, son, and another baby on the way….my family, closest friends and I celebrated last night with a performance by one of my favorite artists Jamey Johnson." (Photo: WENN)

News: VIDEO: Angelina Sports Many Looks in 'Salt' Preview

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Angelina Jolie sports many looks - from homely diplomat to sultry assassin - in the just-released trailer for her upcoming movie Salt, set to hit theaters summer 2010. Watch it here:

Upcoming Videos: Usher - Click here to submit your question for consideration now.

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:16:00 +0100

He's one of the greatest musical icons of our time. Now, he's got a new fragrance out, VIP, and is taking questions from users of Uinterview.com.

Review: This Is It

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:12:00 +0100

By: Chris Roberts. The concert film is absolutely, bar none, the worst of all genres. Towering monuments of vanity that require next to no work, served up to gullible fanatics and almost always guaranteed to bore. So it is all the more shocking to find that, This is It, an on screen love in for the dearly departed Michael Jackson, is an extremely well balanced work in which all the components are blended into a delicious elixir. Of course this one has Jackson's discography on its side and director Kenny Ortega (the High School Musical trilogy) wisely focuses on those songs that everybody loves so much. The movie itself is rather slight, a collection of footage collected during rehearsal for the series of concerts Jackson was going to perform at the O2 arena in London. But Ortega also wants to show the way that this supremely larger than life superstar profoundly affected the world around him. The very first thing we see is a series of on screen confessionals of fans choking back tears as they discuss what he meant to them. It may come off as provincial and silly but you never doubt that those tears are genuine. The Jackson Estate have their fingers all over this project and evidently were given final cut. It's best you accept this fact before you walk in because that's the deal, take it or leave it. And why not let them have this; an idealized vision of Jackson being spoon-fed to the public after all the suffering he went through at the hands of the tabloids. But that bias is detrimental in a variety of ways. For instance, they show clips from the bizarre press conference in which he announced the tour but the surreal narture that made it a Youtube must see is airbrushed out. But there is still plenty to love about Jackson and the entertainment that he intentionally gave us. The dance sequence for Smooth Criminal, which involves him being edited into an old Bogart film, is so inspiring that it reminds us just how tragic his story actually is. Who knew that a behind the scenes peek at the making of a concert extravaganza could be so gosh darn watchable. Just the dynamic between Jackson and Ortega (who was the director of the concert as well) is enough to exhilarate, as Ortega tries to run the show

Hot Shot: David Beckham Strikes A Pose

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

David Beckham in action for the Los Angeles Galaxy v Chiva USA in the first leg of the MLS Western Conference Semifinal at the Home Depot Center in Carson. (Photo: WENN)

News: 'Dancing' Boots Two Stars

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Dancing With the Stars eliminated NFL-er Michael Irvin and Iron Chef host Mark Dacascos Tuesday night. Irvin and partner Anna Demidova were the first to go. Then Dacascos faced off against singer Aaron Carter in a dance off. Judges including, Carrie Ann Inaba, left, rated Carter's jive tops. Dacascos struggled after his partner, Lacey Schwimmer, came down with the flu, and he was forced to dance with Anna Trebunskaya. (Photo: WENN)

News: Brad Pitt Goes Bike Shopping

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Brad Pitt is looking for a new motorcycle after damaging his hog last month while fleeing photographers. "I had a little mishap," Pitt told reporters in Tokyo at a press conference for Inglourious Basterds. "No injuries, except my ego. I was trying to get away from some paparazzi and instead gave them a good story. It was my favorite bike, so that is really sad." Will he be shopping for a Japanese model while he's in town? "I will definitely be looking at motorcycles," Pitt said. "You've got some of the best builders right here." (Photo: WENN)

Experts: Jason Derulo

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:36:00 +0100

He's the soulful singer who's got the #1 song in the country, "Watcha Say." Jason Derulo takes questions exclusively for users of Uinterview.com.

Review: Humanoid By Tokio Hotel

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:17:00 +0100

By: Monica Davies. Moody German rock group Tokio Hotel, who you may have heard of and who you're likely to have mistaken for a girl group at least once, have just released their second full-length English album. “Humanoid” marks an attempt to break into the U.S. music market properly. It's a 12 track (or 16 if you get the U.S. special edition) collection of stomping beats and melodramatic vocals that definitely singles the young band out as having something to say with their music, instead of simply singing along to some pretty-sounding tunes. Most of the songs have a vibe that wouldn't surprise anyone familiar with your typical German band - they're slightly heavy, somewhat industrial sounding, and the songs are filled with synthesized vocals. But when the songs really get soaring, like the first single, “Automatic,” and “Darkside Of The Sun,” they really are great to listen to. “Forever Now” and “Hey You” are also particularly anthemic tunes. However, there are points where the idea gets too much and the quartet ends up sounding like a Rammstein/Tori Amos collaboration where the beats are to heavy and the music too far removed from its audience. Although, it is fitting for the overall concept of the album that these seriously industrial tracks are titled “Human Connect To Human” and the title track, “Humanoid,” making the album's idea that humans are becoming part machine come across quite effectively. Other strong tracks include “Love And Death,” “Screamin,'” and the atmospheric “World Behind My Wall.” After a couple of listens, it becomes clear that “Humanoid” shows off a darker side to Tokio Hotel's music, and while it may not have the musical attractiveness of their previous English album it sure does leave an imprint in your mind. Buy it if you're looking to explore new and original alt-rock bands.

News: Kate Hudson's No Cocktail Diet

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Kate Hudson, 30, had to really suffer for her art - she gave up alcohol to lose 20 pounds for her role in her upcoming flick Earthbound. "I love my glass of wine. I love tequila," Hudson tells Elle UK. "To be in New York for two weeks and not have one beverage! I'm not sure I've ever done that." Hudson, who dates New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez, also has a few thoughts about the opposite sex. "I love boys," she relates, "but I believe they're really simple... they're so easy to figure out." (Photo: WENN)

News: Rihanna: I Became Britney

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Rihanna is opening up about the media storm that erupted after she was assaulted by then-boyfriend Chris Brown in February. “I went to sleep as Rihanna and woke up as Britney Spears,” Rihanna tells Glamour magazine. “That was the level of media chaos that happened the next day.” Still, the singer does see a silver lining in the sad episode. “The positive thing that has come out of my situation is that people can learn from that," she says. "I want to give as much insight as I can to young women.” (Photo: WENN)

Review: (Untitled)

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:18:00 +0100

By: Chris Roberts. We all know by now that in the world of art beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But how does your position in life affect your taste? Why is it that artists, patrons, corporations and critics all have such wildly different tastes? (Untitled) tackles those questions head on in this delightfully satiric peek inside the New York art world. In creating his snappy little film writer/director Jonathan Parker (mainly known for his adaptation of Bartleby) has given his audience plenty to chew on and plenty to laugh at. He's also, sorry to say, used a very sitcom-y set up as a crutch and thoughtlessly crammed a lot of cliches into a brief running time. But when all is said and done the power of his ideas outweighs (albeit barely) the shortcuts employed in presenting them. The premise involves two brothers who live at opposite ends of the art vs. commerce debate. Adrian (Adam Goldberg) is a chronically depressed "musician" whose performances include him rattling chains, crumpling paper, and, quite literally, kicking the bucket in an effort to create music. Meanwhile his brother Josh (Eion Bailey) just recently struck it rich by selling a collection of his soulless paintings to a nameless company. By far the best thing about this film is the way that it reveals hidden truths about the art world that most people would never bother to think about. Through a series of messy events Josh's girlfriend Madeleine (Marley Shelton) decides to show Adrian in her art gallery and then convinces one of her patrons to commission a new piece by him. What's not to like? Madeleine has persuaded a member of the idle rich to use his excess wealth to subsidize Adrain's creativity. It matters not that he just plain sucks at composing because he clearly has an intense passion for what he does. In the opening scene Adrian even goes so far as to tell his brother that if he doesn't "make it" as an artist in the next few years then he is simply going to off himself. But, as in life, this situation is far more complicated. The only reason that Madeleine's gallery is sustainable - it specializes in the extreme avant-garde - is because of the cash Josh is bringing in. So without him blatantly selling out, experimental art as a whole would be much worse off

Review: Dexter - Season Four

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:15:00 +0100

By: Neil Pedley. Finding a fresh approach to very well trodden ground of the closet serial killer is not an easy thing to do, but somehow this charming and quirky Showtime original series has found a way. Based initially on the first of Jeff Lindsey's acclaimed series of novels (Desperately Dreaming Dexter), this darkly sardonic saga swiftly found its own direction in following the ongoing exploits of the titular Dexter Morgan. Dexter's day job is forensic blood splatter analysis for the always busy Miami Metro Police department. Dexter has a secret life, however, a life that his policeman foster father Harry taught him to hide and mask so that he would remain safe and undetectable. Dexter lives by Harry's code, never kill the innocent. Fortunately for Dexter, in today's world, that still leaves plenty of targets out there and our unlikely hero takes great pride in “taking out the trash” as he puts it. He does his best to fit in and appear normal, staying close to his foster sister Deborah (Jennifer Carpenter) and last season married longstanding girlfriend Rita (Julie Benz), a former battered wife and her two young children. But this new season finds Dexter out of sorts and off his game. A new baby sees him deprived of sleep, while the close proximity of Rita and the neighbors ensures he's never less than very uncomfortable. What makes this show unique is its fastidious attention to itself. It does not veer off into the realm of been-there-seen-that cliche. Michael C. Hall of Six Feet Under fame has gone to great lengths to carve out a character that doesn't feel like any other on television. Where some would borrow from the classics and amalgamate a persona, Hall never looks like he is doing a bad impression. The Dexter he has created avoids the aloof menace of a Hannibal Lector and the sleazy smugness of a Patrick Bateman, embodying a character that's real, everyday, and strangely likable. Refreshingly normal and quietly contemplative on his own nature, Dexter's compulsion is not one of anger or blood lust, it just is. This raises some interesting questions on the nature of good and evil, such as where does evil live, is evil in the flesh? If Dexter only kills bad people who do terrible things, then does that not make him good? The complete and total refusal to render any kind of judgmental ...

News: 'Dancing' With the Flu

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Dancing with the Stars is being plagued by a flu epidemic. Derek Hough, professional Lacey Schwimmer and Mark Ballas have all been stricken with by the flu bug. Dancer Anna Trebunskaya, who had been teamed with booted Chuck Liddell, will replace Schwimmer as chef Mark Dacascos's partner. (Photo: WENN)

News: Ed Norton Finishes NYC Marthon in Under 4 Hours

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Former Fight Club member Edward Norton, 40, proved he's still in fighting shape: he finished New York City Marathon's 26-miles in 3 hours and 48 minutes on Sunday afternon. Norton was racing to support the Kenyan charity Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust. Former ER man Anthony Edwards also finish in under four hours and rocker Alanis Morissette came in about four hours and 30 minutes.

News: Gibson's Girlfriend Has Girl

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Mel Gibson's girlfriend, musician Oksana Grigorieva, 37, gave birth to a baby girl, Gibson's 8th child. Grigorieva was due in December. Gibson, 53, has seven kids with his estranged wife Robyn, who filed for divorce in April after 30 years of marriage. Grigorieva has son Alexander from a former relationship with actor Timothy Dalton. (Photo: WENN)

Hot Shot: The McCord Sisters Get Spooky

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0100

Sisters Angel, Rachel and Annalynn McCord at a party for her sister Rachel's 21st birthday with a Halloween themed party at TABU Ultra Lounge inside the MGM Grand Resort Hotel Casino Vegas in Las Vegas.

Hot Shot: Bette Midler Goes Ghoulish

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:00:00 +0100

Bette Midler in costume as 'The Show Ghoul'at her New York Restoration Project Benefit Gala 'Hulaween' held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel New York City on Friday night. (Photo: WENN)

Review: Antichrist

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:32:00 +0100

By: Neil Pedley. It's a common misconception that Danish director Lars Von Trier cares what people think - he doesn't. For evidence of that you need look no further than the press conference immediately following Antichrist's Cannes unveiling during which one puffed-up twerp representing the reactionary British rag The Daily Mail demanded Von Trier “Justify it!” to which the diminutive Dane flatly replied: “You are all my guests. It is not the other way around.” In fact, given his notoriously mischievous nature and his love/hate relationship with critics who exhaustively try to derive meaning from his various artistic whims, it is entirely possibly that he's just having a right royal giggle at our collective expense. Von Trier has even been known to remark with a chuckle that he simply tells the same story about an ill-fated femme doomed to ignominy by a misguided man over and over in a variety of different genres. Antichrist, if you haven't guessed by the title, is a horror film. Yet for all its fearsome reputation, the black and white opening sequence during which a nameless married couple enjoy a slow-motion fuck backed by a swelling, operatic score, while snow falls majestically outside and their infant son falls to his death from a third story window, is so spectacularly pretentious and loaded with such deliberately self-conscious symbolism that its impossible not to at least consider that Von Trier might simply be just taking the piss. The juxtaposition of all of the above with, amongst other things, a hardcore insert shot, and, most comically, a laundry cycle(!) does little to bolster the argument against. Following the funeral where he wails and she faints the comedy histrionics subside for a while as Von Trier delves deep into the guts of the relationship, which, as is so often the case with Von Trier, takes the form of one party (usually the man) driving the other to despair. Insisting that she discharge herself from the hospital so that he, a therapist, can nurse her through the crippling grief, the couple pack off for some naturalistic healing in a ramshackle cabin in the woods (anyone still think he's not having a laugh somewhere?). It's an act born out of misplaced guilt (he couldn't save the child so he must save her) that over time mutates into an outlet for his misplaced rage; tormenting her, withholding sex (until he wants ...