I hold Lars von Trier’s films in high regard, and I appreciate his willingness to try something new by combining dramatic storytelling with musical elements. “Dancer in the Dark” is certainly bold in its approach. However, good intentions aren't enough to create a successful movie, and this one doesn’t quite work as either a drama or a musical. When considered as a straight drama, the film has problems on several basic levels. For starters, the camera’s unsteady, handheld style feels completely pointless. Von Trier disregarded other rules of Dogme 95 in this production, so it's puzzling why he stuck with this one distracting limitation. The constant shaking disrupts any sense of believability and prevents viewers from becoming invested in Selma’s story. Even more significantly, the ending offers no positive takeaways. What is the point of all this? It resembles a Greek tragedy stripped of its moral purpose—the central character dies, leaving us feeling only empty. Emotional release needs some kind of meaning, but “Dancer in the Dark” doesn't provide it. The film’s musical aspects are equally unsuccessful. Even musicals that deal with difficult subjects need moments of joy, a sense of progression, or some glimmer of hope. The form generally calls for something uplifting, a song that carries us above the pain. That element is missing entirely here. Still, Björk delivers an impressive performance given the material she had to work with, and casting Joel Grey in the courtroom musical sequence at the end was a truly inspired choice—a clever theatrical gesture that recognizes the genre’s legacy while also twisting it. Despite these occasional flashes of insight, they aren't enough to save what is ultimately a broken film. “Dancer in the Dark” is an impressive attempt that falls short.

Source on TMDB