Comments on: Cannes Review: ‘Only God Forgives’ Stretches Refn’s Neon-Noir Style Over Too Little Oedipal, Amoral Substance

By: CB

CB — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:08 +0000

Pumped!

By: Stranger

Stranger — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:08 +0000

Yer, an idiot.

By: yer

yer — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:08 +0000

No one is surprised. Drive was arthouse light for the teeny bopper generation. Refn's pedigree before the film was average at best and will continue to be after he stops trying to emulate the success of Drive which baffles me to this day.

By: thesaurusrs

thesaurusrs — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:08 +0000

It's official. Kristen Scott Thomas has more balls than Gosling. She actually showed up to hear her movie get booed. Kudos to her. That's a pro.

By: Henry

Henry — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:08 +0000

I was lucky enough to so the screening and I was stunned. This is the NEW clockwork orange for the 21st century. Sure people will hate it at first (wait till you hear the backlash to the glorious violence) but this will be hailed as one of the finest films ever made. Oh and the cinamatography by larry smith (Kubricks old DP) was jaw dropping , best I have ever seen. Music is embedded into the film similar to how the score on inception played a key role to the film. The score by cliff Martinez , is a majestic blending of an infusion of electric pop and classical music.

In summary, the best way to descibe this film is as a surreal modern hyper violent western set in Asia, directed by a combo of lynch,Malick and kubrick aesthetics.

–translated from French

By: oogle monster

oogle monster — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:08 +0000

It seems this reviewer is trying to convince themselves the film is better than it is really is..? Most reviews thus far have been pretty mixed. This read as a C or C-.

By: Minuen

Minuen — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:08 +0000

I am really starting to think Gosling must be paying an ad agency to prop him up on these web sites. The comment from Michael M is nothing short of ridiculous.

By: Michael M.

Michael M. — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:08 +0000

I'm sure this film will leave a much more endearing legacy behind than the Palme' Winner itself. Lol @ pathetic trolls obviously infuriated with Refn and Gosling. Trolls will always be trolls, and take a chance at insulting FAR more intellectual, successful, creative and attractive individuals. Haha as if any of you trolls know what good cinema is. Maybe I should redirect you towards the blockbuster section.

By: Louise

Louise — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:08 +0000

Uhm. If Indiewire gives a Gosling film only a B and not an A++++, we can safely assume that OGF will definitely not be included in the 'must-see' category. However, we can also assume that they have been very generous in their review nevertheless.

By: patchthehavoc

patchthehavoc — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:08 +0000

Jessica, you may seriously be my favourite writer at The Playlist — what an incisive and well-written piece on the foibles of high expectations. I'm still very excited to see this, because I inadvertently came across an early draft of the script and know more or less what to expect in terms of plot (or lack thereof), but retain hopes that the Refn and the cast are nevertheless capable of some sort of transcendence over the thinly sketched plot.

By: Myfriend

Myfriend — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:08 +0000

Total Film calls it a failure.

By: Nomaam

Nomaam — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:08 +0000

Gosling ALWAYS relies on his co-stars to give his characters meaning. Hopefully this apparently rather mediocre film will put the hype to sleep. The emperor has no clothes, people. Did Gangsters not ably demonstrate that?

By: droop

droop — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:08 +0000

for those of us who didnt think drive was even close to being the masterpiece it's hailed as i think this will do nicely

By: Najo

Najo — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:08 +0000

Wow my high expectations were pegged down a bit after reading this review, but looks like The Guardian gave it 5/5 stars!! There goes my expectations again…

By: Egghead

Egghead — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:07 +0000

Most of the people who will see this movie and love it are the ones that enjoy his movies for exactly what they are. Violent, gorgeously stylistic, dark themes and a great soundtrack. Which is exactly how the author of this post has referred it to be. The fact is Drive doesn't have to be a masterpiece and neither does this film. Refn doesn't owe anybody anything. In the end they're certain types of movies for certain types of people. The people who will enjoy this most likely enjoyed Drive, Valhalla Rising and Bronson. You can bash Gosling or Refn all you want but he still continues to make a damn good entertaining films. This, of course is only my opinion, but I think most of the commenters on here are more or less annoyed that other people appreciate his work for what it is. You didn't get what you were expecting and suddenly it becomes appropriate to say words like pretentious and overrated which essentially says a lot about you.

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:07 +0000

Looks like Gosling has gone 0-for-3 this year with the awful GS, the mediocre disappointing Pines, and now this. What happened to his career and script choices? Looks like he's finally been outed for the mediocre actor he perhaps always was.

By: Jude3

Jude3 — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:07 +0000

Coming out on VOD the same day as theaters? Yup, it sucks.

Looks like even the critics who were so dedicated in overpraising Gosling are now sick of him and his shtick.

By: Eddy

Eddy — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:07 +0000

Gosling has jumped the shark IMO. The media/internet (the stupid "Hey Girl" memes) have really ruined him. He just isn't the star they're so desperately trying to make him into.

By: DG

DG — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:07 +0000

There's no doubt in my mind the problem here is that expectations were way too high. With Refn I always think about the scene in Drive where Albert Brooks tells Driver that he used to produce B-movies. 'One critic called them European, I thought they shit'. I feel like this little snippet is extremely telling of a certain aspect of Refn's views on filmmaking/sensibilities and also serves as a clue on how his work should be viewed. The pleasures are trashy because merit is pretentious, but that doesn't mean the pleasures aren't real, that his images don't have real feeling or power. Most of his movies are just glorified B-movies that periodically reach into the realm of art-house and whats wrong with that, really? A lot of his movies don't have super-relatable characters or tons of feeling but they're still dazzling to behold and fun stories to see played out (Bronson and the entire Pusher trilogy feels this way for me). Everything on the criticism chopping block here sounds like stuff that was already a foregone complaint (which Jessica even acknowledges here), which is fair I suppose but it's annoying to hear people foaming at the mouth with hatred against a movie (which they haven't even seen yet) or an actor, out of petty, pre-determined predjudice and not because of the actual work in question (although I guess this is what I do with Zach Braff haha). Anyways point being I'm still excited to see this. and everyone needs to chill out till you've actually seen the movie.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:07 +0000

I also saw the movie at Cannes, and I think there is a pretty great subtext/theme about getting out of a cycle of violence that I can't talk too much more about without with giving up the game. But I think got a lot more out of it than Jess. That said, a B is pretty fair — I mighta gone B+.

By: justakid

justakid — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:07 +0000

Drive won me over after a hard fought battle against my initial resistance of what I thought might have been exploitational and crass. It sounds like his new film may have succumbed to my worst worries about Drive. Amoral and violent is not something that appeals to my sensibilities at this moment in time.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:07 +0000

This is the review I can agree with most. Saw Only God Forgives yesterday, reviewed it today (read it at dudereviewsmovies.com) and Jessica definitely addresses the correct point: little story, a lot of style. Still, the style is ab-so-lutely fantastic!

By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:07 +0000

Interesting. Valhalla, so far, has been the only Refn movie I haven't liked. From this review I am getting the feeling I am really going to like Only God Forgives.

By: AJ

AJ — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:07 +0000

I kind of liked Drive, I thought the story was too thin for my taste but the GREAT cast and music/style made is very watchable. It also had some really beautiful moments (the kiss in the elevator for instance) so all in all it was a generic crimestory that was upgraded by some artistic flourishes if you will. It worked for the most part.
However, I saw Only God Forgives two days ago, and it is terrible. It's self-indulgent, flat-out boring and completely without class and any real depth whatsoever. It's Refn trying to pose as an artistic auteur, while he is actually making nothing more than violence porn. Many pretentious filmstudents will love it.

By: APX

APX — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:51:07 +0000

I am still unsure what would have caused the boos. OGF is too bleak? that's the big criticism? Gosling's Driver was not a character with any backstory, and his redemptive elements were pretty surface–looking out for the innocent woman and child. I liked Drive for its stylized visuals and simple narrative, but I don't think Drive is an exercise in sympathetic characters. Also, I don't understand this reviewer's insistence that OGF needs "hope."