Dogville (6.2/10)

This one is hard to rate. Lars von Trier's 2003 crime drama has some unbelievable acting, with Nicole Kidman leading the cast. My issue is the format, and the fact that it runs 2 hours and 50 minutes. The entire film takes place on a bare soundstage with no walls and no real houses. Everything is just outlined in chalk on the floor, so you're left to fill in the town with your own imagination. It feels exactly like watching a stage play, which is not my favorite way to experience a movie. If even the play-like moments in a Wes Anderson film wear on me, three hours of this was a real test. I can respect what it's doing, but I can't say I enjoyed sitting through it."A barren soundstage is stylishly utilized to create a minimalist small-town setting in which a mysterious woman named Grace hides from the criminals who pursue her. The town is two-faced and offers to harbor Grace as long as she can make it worth their effort, so Grace works hard under the employ of various townspeople to win their favor. Tensions flare, however, and Grace's status as a helpless outsider provokes vicious contempt and abuse from the citizens of Dogville."