The director’s remake of the Clint Eastwood film in some ways improves upon the original.

In the science fiction drama, the destination may not be as satisfying as the journey.

In Lars von Trier’s Cannes hit Melancholia, the director asks, “What does depression feel like?” His answer? “Like a massive rogue planet on a collision course with Earth about to wipe out all existence.”

Director Sofia Coppola’s new film, Marie-Antoinette, has the look of a Merchant-Ivory period drama, with enough gorgeous costumes, jewelry, and gastronomic porn to rival the splendor of the Baroque château of Versailles, where most of the action takes place. (Coppola paid the relatively low fee of $20,000 each day that she shot at Versailles, according to news reports.) Its soul, however, remains in the late 20th century, showing the young Austrian princess, who becomes Queen…