Anybody who knows me and my movies know that my favorite directors are PT Anderson, Fincher, Lynch, Kubrick, Scorsese, and Tarentino (in no particular order). After watching ‘Only God Forgives’, I think I should include Nicholas Winding Refn in that conversation.
This film has received very mixed reviews, more bad than good, and at Cannes it was known that this film received a few boos, while another half of the audience gave it a standing ovation. Ryan Gosling is back as the main character in Refn’s newest film, playing Julien, an underground boxing club owner and dealer on the side. His character reminded me of the unnamed ‘Driver’ from ‘Drive’ that he played….quiet, composed and violent. What Gosling does well in this film is just the way he plays the role of a hard-case, and he doesn’t have to say a word. A lot of fans of his complained that he had hardly any dialogue in ‘Drive’, but that’s what I think movies need to do….you don’t have to use words to make the point in the movie…the looks, the feel of the scene, and the actions are what really stand out. Refn is known for making this type of skill happen, most notably in ‘Valhalla Rising’, where the main character said NOTHING throughout the movie, yet it was brilliant.
The main downfall in the movie for me was Kirsten Scott Thomas. While she is a fabulous actress, I feel that she just didn’t fit the role very well of the mother of Julien. While I praise certain films of hers, this just wasn’t a highlight of hers. Her character was bleak, and didn’t feel like a Refn-type character for the film.
While action seemed to be the feel watching the movie trailers before this film released, there wasn’t as much action as there was insanely violent, bloody scenes. The pattern was similar to ‘Drive’; A buildup of the plot, and halfway through the action picks up. This isn’t a problem at all because a lot of my favorite books do this and it satisfies me every time.
The villain, Chang, was a perfect role for this film, and causes the most mayhem in the movie, while I don’t spoil the plot too much, there are a lot of eye opening scenes with Chang that make you wonder if his performance tops Gosling’s.
If you are a fan of a steady paced, violent films with an emphasis on the art and scenery, as well as a well done plot…then you do not want to miss this film.
My rating: 8 out of 10
Source:
http://calvinscott.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/only-god-forgives-a-movie-review/