Only God Forgives (2013)

[dave jenkins]

http://variety.com/2013/film/news/video-ryan-gosling-stars-in-only-god-forgives-trailer-1200332751/

[PowerRR]

looks excellent

[dave jenkins]

I'm willing to give it a shot. Hey, Grogs: Kristin Scott Thomas!

[Kurug3n]

It's going to be interesting to see what this turns out to be.

[noodles_leone]

I didn't like the images we had seen so far. Now, THIS looks really good. Appart from the sword bullshit (every shot containing a word in this trailer looks like a cheap TV movie, just like every shot containing a knife did in Drive).

[PowerRR]

Another trailer. Still looks excellent:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HEFCN4qaYt4

[noodles_leone]

This is looking better and better. Still disliking a lot the katana shots/scenes.

[Scarabaeus]

The title is an obvious ripoff of the SW "God Forgives, I don't" with Terence Hill and Bud Spencer. Credit where it's due.

[dave jenkins]

I think everybody on this board already had that sussed, but thanks.

[Kurug3n]

I saw a documentary on the director and he seems to enjoy the same films that are talked about on this board.

[Groggy]

Trailer looks good.

[moviesceleton]

6.5/10

Visually it's pure cinematographic porn but that isn't enough to make a movie. The soundtrack is also excellent. I'd rather see Refn directing music videos than feature films. 'Cause that's what his films essentially are: music videos glued together with clichéd plots taken from B-movies.

It's a rather fun genre flick - nothing more - and not even as fun as Drive. I more or less enjoyed the ride but after exiting the theater I felt shamed.

[noodles_leone]

I had the opposite reaction: I was quite bored during the film but walked out of the cinema... walking like Gosling. And then I began to really like the film.

The best part about it is what the movie really means:

"Oh you people liked Drive, didn't you? Well it's a shame because this is not what I do. I do stuff you won't like."

Appart from that, to defend Refn:

- In his filmography, only Drive and GOF are "music videos glued together with clichéd plots taken from B-movies".
- We don't have that much B-movie NOT starring Statham made by people who really like doing so, these days. So if one guy who obvioulsly loves cinema comes and direct them like music videos, good for him, and good for us.

[dave jenkins]

Only God Forgives (2013) 3/10. Visually interesting, sonically impressive—Cliff Martinez has done it again!—as narrative, however, this film is a joke. The situations are absurd, the plot ridiculous, the dialog risible—the Noho crowd I saw this with kept breaking into laughter at inappropriate times. The actors, as well as the camera, were often immobile—the film should have been called Pose (the guy from Drive was called upon to do very little actual acting). When the actors did shift position, it was as if they were moving through jello. The color scheme—heavy on reds and blacks—looked good. The sudden eruptions of violence were almost Python-esque (causing more inappropriate laughter). This won’t be a future Blu-ray purchase for me—might get the soundtrack CD, though.

The experience wasn't a complete washout, though. As I was leaving I noticed Cuba Gooding Jr. in the audience. Some other idiot was engaging him in a conversation about one of his dumb movies, but I was able to cut in and compliment him and his fellow cast members on their work on The Trip to Bountiful, now on Broadway. Gooding was obviously pleased with the comment. He replied, proudly, "We're going until October." So they've been extended. It must be great to be in a hit--I hope his voice holds out, its getting pretty cracked. We didn't exchange views on the movie--life is too short.

[Groggy]

Cool story Jenkins. Good to hear Cuba's doing more than Daddy Day Camp 3 these days.