Only God Forgives (2013)

I love this movie so much

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

This movie is pure art, as behind beautiful cinematography and deep symbolism, is a disturbing story of emotionless, empty people, committing acts beyond what we would think of doing. This will definitely be a classic one day!

I wouldn't consider this a masterpiece, but I do think that it manages to be an interesting film that seems to be hated by a lot of people. Looking at the ratings for this vs. The Neon Demon, I'm honestly surprised to see this one rated lower, as I consider it the more obviously superior. I think one reason for this is that this film followed "Drive" which (especially since both star Gosling) set the expectation that this would be more like that, whereas The Neon Demon follows this movie, which set the expectation that his films would be batsh** crazy artsy affairs, which both definitely are. The film has a very nice look, seemingly inspired by the look (or perhaps idea) of Thailand, and probably owing a bit of debt to Suspiria with its rich neon colors (especially red). The cinematography is excellent, and everything seems to be meticulously planned. I think the acting and story will be where this film either provokes love or hate in different viewers. Fans of David Lynch will probably be largely sympathetic to the style here: it has a lot of bizarre and unrealistic dialog that seems designed to instill an unsettling mood, and it mostly works. There are some cringe-inducing moments but overall I felt like it fits with the film. The story is mostly easy to follow but requires that the viewer do a bit of work to decipher the motivations of the characters, but this is really where the film gets interesting, so I think it makes sense that this requires more active participation from the viewer. Thematically, I find this film ten times more interesting than The Neon Demon and Drive. Why our protagonist is doing the things he is doing and why he ultimately ends up where he does are as important if not more so than the visual merits of the film. I have to wonder whether people criticizing it and saying it's all "style over substance" really understood some of the most basic aspects of the story. This is not a perfect film, and will be hard to watch for some, as it contains some fairly brutal violence. The strange combination of elements will leave some perplexed, but I think it's this rather inspired mix that sets it apart and warrants subsequent viewings. Of Refn's more heavily stylized films (of which I'd include this, The Neon Demon, and Valhalla Rising), this one is arguably his best, in my book.

Really suspenseful. The lack of dialogue was not an issue for me as the imagery and cinematography more than adequately make up for it.

In Thailand, a drug trafficker's icy mother sends him on a mission to avenge his older brother death.Nicolas Winding Refn's Only God Forgives feels more like his Valhalla Rising (2009) rather than the more conventional and mainstream Drive (2011). The music is mesmerising, stirring the uneasiness of The Shinning (1980). It's atmospheric, stylish, quiet and yet ultra-violent, with the beats of an opera. It echoes elements of Diva (1981), Collateral (2004), Subway (1985) and David Lynch's dream-like quality to name a few. Ryan Gosling plays Julian Thompson, an American criminal who lives in Bangkok. Gosling smolders (with limited dialogue which appears to have become his trademark staple) Julian speaks less than 20 lines throughout the film. Kristin Scott Thomas shines as Crystal Thompson, Julian's mother, a merciless and terrifying mafia godmother, probably her most memorable role. The star though is Vithaya Pansringarm as the imposing Lt. Chang/The Angel of Vengeance.Refn remains visually stylish thoughout with natural location shoot, he adds enough subtle narrative smarts and horrifying underworld characters to ground its beautifully filmed depravity.The film's characters are non-people; reminiscent of Revolver (2005) the things they say to each other are non-conversations, the events of neon-drenched nightmare are like some piece of French cinema which purposely plays differently to mainstream good taste. It's slow, edgy and gripping as the extreme violence basic plot plays out.Only God Forgives has some quirky casting and interesting visuals on the background of the seediest sides of Bangkok. If you like artsy, its dedicated to director Alejandro Jodorowsky which should give you an idea what to expect then this is for you.