The Doc Is In

Still, one should give von Trier credit--or at least half of it--for The Five Obstructions, the film of the festival and, most likely, of the year. Striking an oddly fitting balance between documentary and narrative, it's a one-of-a-kind comedy: Von Trier's perverse style of prescriptive torture (the Dogmatist persuades director Jørgen Leth to remake an antic short film five times, each time with a new arbitrary aesthetic limitation) is wedded to a profound, often hilarious dialogue on the role of the artist, world citizen, and human being. As Leth bests each challenge with irrepressible good humor, steadily driving his taskmaster nuts, a picture of their teasing friendship begins to emerge, with von Trier revealing more insecurity and warmth than he has ever allowed himself. It's the 8-1/2 of buddy movies, a film for the ages.