Only God Forgives

Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling were apparently surprised by how successful Drive was with the general public. That’s what gave them the courage to work with even heavier themes than Drive had. They say that there is power in simplicity, and this is exactly what Drive was. A dynamic camera, an oppressive atmosphere supported by great music and, in essence, a very simple premise. Only God Forgives has all these elements, but it is still quite brutal, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Asian movies with mafia characters in the lead are simply like that. But to top it all off, they talk even less and everything takes a really long time, which was perhaps the biggest issue the movie had. It would have been dynamic otherwise. Some of the intentionally long and meaningless shots have a message for a split second, but all the atmosphere disappears within a single moment because nothing really happens in the movie. The electronic music is also sparse, and all that initial enthusiasm quickly fades away in less than half an hour. One then looks at Ryan, who thinks that his charisma will do all the work, but he apparently does not understand that if he doesn’t speak, the viewer can’t form an opinion about him. Even so, I respect the creators’ efforts. The movie’s completely different from a classic film production and deserves great respect. Drive was the work and success of the moment. But Only God Forgives is its indistinct shadow. (2013-11-02)

Unlike Drive, this time I didn't get the impression that I was watching (or trying to watch) a self-important film about nothing. Only God Forgives is a very stylish, gritty short story from the Asian underworld, which confuses the viewer but is not confused itself, it moves forward a snail’s pace, but also at a persistent pace and boils under a seemingly immobile neon color level. The flaw on its beauty is only the not-exactly-convincing performance by Ryan Gosling - the silent looks in his performance look the same all the time, and I can't even imagine what he's experiencing or what he's thinking. Kristin Scott Thomas, of course, is in a completely different acting league, and her overbearing, bashful mobster makes her memorable. (2017-10-15)

An empty hypnoneon nothing that paradoxically has it all; redruM, a shitload of material for Gosling’s breakfast, Oedipus complex², Jodorowsky, a return to mother’s womb, Martinez, Thai folk song karaoke, some explicit violence etc. (2013-06-06)

Thanks to Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn conquered the world, only to drive away his newly discovered fans away with his dream project. A hypnotic atmosphere that compels you to immerse oneself in every dark shot is an amazing thing, but the slow storyline is so self-absorbed that I can't go any further, not even for Ryan Gosling's indecipherable gaze. In Bangkok everyone is betting on him more than ever before, and I honestly felt sorry for any audience members who have already had enough of Gosling's silent charisma. Personally, I still fawn over him instantly, but considering the surprisingly strong feeling that this is an empty fable set in perfect visuals, this time around I am indeed disappointed. (2013-10-21)

An experience that from the viewer’s perspective is something that combines orgasmic feelings with getting your fingernails ripped out, when you had the misfortune to be born with twenty fingers on each hand. The subjective running time of 300 years admittedly hypnotizes you with its visual fetish and almost hollowed-out narrative, where Gosling, for example, could easily have been replaced with a plush imitation of himself and it wouldn't have mattered. I don't begrudge Refn making films for himself; what bothers me is that he's considered a fantastic director, with his obsessive fascination with the image proving that, as a director, he's actually incompetent and lacking any kind of insight. And I don't buy his dedication to Jodorowsky as an alibi. Only God Forgives is essentially a photo-novel due to its static nature, and perhaps the likes of Greenaway would eat it for breakfast. In all its negatives, the film is reminiscent of the director's American debut, Fear X, or the anti-intellectual I Come with the Rain. But I can't help it, it's delicious eye-candy and offended me only a little bit. Now it's up to Refn what he comes up with next; I'd recommend a genre film, otherwise he doesn't have much of a place in a world where Gaspar Noé, Harmony Korine, or Danny Boyle are making visual art spectacles. I look forward to the reviews. (2013-06-06)