Manderlay

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Manderlay ★★ 2005

Yet another tiresome screed from Danish director Von Trier, following 2003's “Dogville.” In 1933, Grace (now played by Howard instead of Nicole Kidman) comes across the titular Alabama plantation where slavery still exists. Grace self-righteously decides to meddle, against her gangster father's (Dafoe) warnings, and finds out that, despite appearances, everyone else is okay with the status quo and it's Grace who must change. Deliberately artificial and of interest only to the director's devotees. 139m/C DVD . Bryce Dallas Howard, Isaach de Bankole, Danny Glover, Willem Dafoe, Lauren Bacall, Jean-Marc Barr, Geoffrey Bateman, Jeremy Davies, Michael Abiteboul, Virgile Bramly, Ruben Brinkman, Dona Croll, John Hurt, Zeljko Ivanek, Udo Kier, Rik Launspach, Llewella Gideon, Mona Hammond, Ginny Holder, Emmanuel Idowu, Teddy Kempner, Suzette Llewellyn, Chloe Sevigny, Charles Maquignon, Joseph Mydell, Javone Pierce, Clive Rowe, Nina Sosanya; D: Lars von Trier; W: Lars von Trier; C: Anthony Dod Mantle.