I was lucky enough to see ONLY GOD FORGIVES last night at the US premiere here in Austin Texas at the Alamo Draft House. Director Nicolas Winding Refn and score creator Cliff Martinez attended the showing and stayed afterwards for a question session. The experience was amazing.
Now for my opinion on the movie. A movie that people/critics walked out on at Cannes.
ONLY GOD FORGIVES is a beautiful journey into hell. Like Dante's Inferno, it takes us spiraling down into the darkest depths. The use of red lights accompanied by Cliff Martinez's hypnotic score, transports us to a world that may only exist in the darkest corners of our mind. A world of jealousy, resentment and pornographic violence. A world that seems to have several devils in it, surrounded by demons. This world exists only to serve a smothering sexual predator of a mother and her two uniquely different but disturbed boys.
This is a sensory overload film and very "lynchian". I was reminded of David Lynch in that its the silence that commands all the power.
Ryan Gosling is perfectly cast as the films only conscience. Conflicted and lost, his soul drifts through the film like a ghost.
Kristin Scott Thomas is almost unrecognizable as the wicked mother. She is depraved and easily the main "Devil" of the story. Her performance is outstanding.
Vithaya Pansringarm (the angel of death) is numbingly awesome as the films only sane (but brutal) character. His quiet strength and stoic manner would have stole the film if he wasn't surrounded by Ryan and Kristen. He is amazing and exudes charisma.
The Cinematography by Larry Smith is creepy and exactly what the film needs to pull you in.
Cliff Martinez yet again, creates a score that is as much a character in the film as any of its actors.
Visually, this is one of my favorite films of all time.
This is not a mainstream movie. It is not for the faint at heart. This is art house cinema at its best. Your average 2 second TV commercial has more dialogue.
So what's it about? I prefer to let the master, David Lynch answer that:
"It makes me uncomfortable to talk about meanings and things. It's better not to know so much about what things mean. Because the meaning, it's a very personal thing, and the meaning for me is different than the meaning for somebody else." - David Lynch
That's art for you...
I must add one last note to all the brain dead pop culture people that gave this film a poor rating and said that it was boring: I feel sorry for you... Because your so caught up in your bubblegum culture that you can't even enjoy true art when you see it. You need everything spelled out for you. These are also the types that "talk" and "text" during the movie. Abstract art is obviously beyond such closed minded people's grasp. It's these types of people and that type of mentality that led to Mozart dying in poverty and buried in an unmarked grave.
My highest rating of FIVE STARS.
Now for my opinion on the movie. A movie that people/critics walked out on at Cannes.
ONLY GOD FORGIVES is a beautiful journey into hell. Like Dante's Inferno, it takes us spiraling down into the darkest depths. The use of red lights accompanied by Cliff Martinez's hypnotic score, transports us to a world that may only exist in the darkest corners of our mind. A world of jealousy, resentment and pornographic violence. A world that seems to have several devils in it, surrounded by demons. This world exists only to serve a smothering sexual predator of a mother and her two uniquely different but disturbed boys.
This is a sensory overload film and very "lynchian". I was reminded of David Lynch in that its the silence that commands all the power.
Ryan Gosling is perfectly cast as the films only conscience. Conflicted and lost, his soul drifts through the film like a ghost.
Kristin Scott Thomas is almost unrecognizable as the wicked mother. She is depraved and easily the main "Devil" of the story. Her performance is outstanding.
Vithaya Pansringarm (the angel of death) is numbingly awesome as the films only sane (but brutal) character. His quiet strength and stoic manner would have stole the film if he wasn't surrounded by Ryan and Kristen. He is amazing and exudes charisma.
The Cinematography by Larry Smith is creepy and exactly what the film needs to pull you in.
Cliff Martinez yet again, creates a score that is as much a character in the film as any of its actors.
Visually, this is one of my favorite films of all time.
This is not a mainstream movie. It is not for the faint at heart. This is art house cinema at its best. Your average 2 second TV commercial has more dialogue.
So what's it about? I prefer to let the master, David Lynch answer that:
"It makes me uncomfortable to talk about meanings and things. It's better not to know so much about what things mean. Because the meaning, it's a very personal thing, and the meaning for me is different than the meaning for somebody else." - David Lynch
That's art for you...
I must add one last note to all the brain dead pop culture people that gave this film a poor rating and said that it was boring: I feel sorry for you... Because your so caught up in your bubblegum culture that you can't even enjoy true art when you see it. You need everything spelled out for you. These are also the types that "talk" and "text" during the movie. Abstract art is obviously beyond such closed minded people's grasp. It's these types of people and that type of mentality that led to Mozart dying in poverty and buried in an unmarked grave.
My highest rating of FIVE STARS.